The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will receive full funding for its Overdose Data to Action or OD2A program ahead of a key budget deadline, according to a senior CDC official. This development comes after the Trump administration withheld $140 million from the program earlier this year.
The delayed funding was part of a broader issue with funding at the CDC, which received small amounts every 30 days to cover payroll and other expenses. The CDC had to wait for Congress’s intended $9 billion in funding for fiscal year 2025, leading to delays in sending out notices of awards to state and local health departments.
However, most of the affected programs can now continue, including OD2A, which will receive full funding. Grantees who were initially told they would receive only half of their funding are now set to receive the full amount.
The news is a welcome relief for advocates, but they express concerns about the impact of delayed or partial funding on health departments and programs. “I don’t think anybody will feel confident until they have money in hand,” says Sharon Gilmartin, director of the Safe States Alliance.
New funding challenges emerge, as several dozen CDC programs have had their budget lines frozen at the direction of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These programs focus on chronic disease prevention, nutrition, physical activity, and more. The reason for these freezes is unclear, but advocates are questioning the ideological basis behind them.
The senior CDC official describes the release of funding as a relief and says there are big questions about what it all means. With no clear strategy in place, it remains to be seen how these funding decisions will affect health programs and communities nationwide.
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/08/05/nx-s1-5493279/cdc-funding-freeze-overdose-omb