On October 15, NETEC (National Emerging Special Pathogens Training & Education Center) announced a grant of $37.5 million targeting HCIDs (High-Consequence Infectious Diseases). Laboratories that do work related to high-consequence pathology and pathogens were urged to call upon their employers to apply and be included among the 75 health care facilities that will be selected to receive part of this large grant.
The purpose of this award is to upgrade or provide the chosen facilities with what they need to become recognized as Level 2 NSPS centers having special pathogen management systems.
The hospitals selected will receive a maximum of half a million dollars to bolster their critical infrastructure, secure specialized equipment that meets the requirements of Level 2 facilities under the NSPS classification, and also undertake the needed training of staff. Shelly Schwedhelm, the NSPS director, revealed that Level 2 facilities are at the core of responding to the threats posed by special pathogens.
The grant intends to bring high-level care close to communities around the country while at the same time bolstering health care workers’ protection as they deal with these serious biothreats.
Through this grant, providers of emergency services will be brought closer to partners with a stake in public health so that disease management is conducted seamlessly as each actor performs their role. High-quality care and safety during outbreaks of these special pathogens is the ultimate goal of the grant program, Schwedhelm added.
When a facility is designated as Level 2, it means that facility has what it takes to address all the needs of patients that have been afflicted by a special pathogen. The facilities are the baseline upon which more specialized facilities are created. The grant is therefore a key enabler of the establishment of designated NSPS health care facilities that ensure the health care system is ready to deal with these outbreaks in a sustainable and reliable way.
Infectious diseases of high consequence are those infections having high death rates, with illnesses that are intense yet therapies against those conditions are limited. The CDC points out that some of these conditions can even be leveraged as bioterrorism tools. These diseases are contagious and often spread from animals and infect humans.
It should be noted that the notice announcing the grant excludes Level 1 labs and federally-owned facilities. Applications must be submitted by eligible labs on or before December 2 this year.
It is commendable that these grants are being made available to boost the fight against special pathogens. The awards come at a time when for-profit entities like Soligenix Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX) are investing massively in developing novel therapies indicated for biothreats and infectious diseases that are posing a major threat not just within the U.S. but around the world.
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