By Elizabeth Kresse
July 1, 2002

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson addressed mayors during the opening plenary of the Conference of Mayors 2002 Annual Meeting, providing an overview of some key initiatives launched by his department in recent months. The Secretary began by reviewing federal government efforts to respond to the threat of bioterrorism following the events of September 11. Stating that "We are further ahead than anyone every imagined" in responding to potential acts of bioterrorism, he informed mayors that the public health infrastructure is being rebuilt, emergency funds are now available to hospitals, educational systems are being established to train local first responders, and 90 medical assistance teams have been developed that can respond quIn addition, the nation's pharmaceutical supply has been expanded from 400 to 600 tons and the public health system now has the capacity to deliver 50 tons of medical supplies to any U.S. city within hours. Finally, the federal government can now ensure an adequate supply of smallpox vaccine and is currently developing new vaccines to combat agents of bioterrorism.

In addition, the nation's pharmaceutical supply has been expanded from 400 to 600 tons and the public health system now has the capacity to deliver 50 tons of medical supplies to any U.S. city within hours. Finally, the federal government can now ensure an adequate supply of smallpox vaccine and is currently developing new vaccines to combat agents of bioterrorism.

In the area of welfare reform, the Secretary announced a new HHS initiative known as "Urban Partnerships" which will provide technical assistance and training to 10 large cities (those with 300,000 residents or over) to help them adopt successful programs to assist families in transition from dependence to self-sufficiency. The Secretary also mentioned that he will become Chair of the Interagency Council on the Homeless in January. This body works to provide coordinated care for 200,000 chronically homeless individuals and 100,000 individuals who experience temporary homelessness.

The Secretary then moved to a review of his department's current areas of emphasis in the area of public health. Each year, three health conditions_smoking-related complications, obesity, and diabetes_are associated with almost one million deaths, costing the U.S. economy $270 billion yearly. Preventing these conditions, stressed the Secretary, is much more cost-effective than treating them. Noting that about 61 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, the Secretary said that he had put himself and his whole department on a diet, following the example of Philadelphia Mayor Street, who challenged his city to go on a diet.