Editorial: National database for health

Monday, Nov. 5, 2001 | 9 a.m.

Before Sept. 11 Congress was loath to increase spending on underfunded programs and resisted creating new programs even more, because it wanted to keep the federal government's budget balanced. But following the terrorist attacks, Congress and President Bush correctly have put aside fiscal constraints and are approving more government spending in the war on terrorism.

On the bioterrorism front, Congress likely will set aside significant sums of money to build up more supplies of vaccines and antidotes. That is a sensible response -- as long as Congress doesn't go overboard and needlessly stockpile drugs as political payback for pharmaceutical giants that have been big campaign contributors. For that matter, the nation wants to prepare for fending off diseases associated with terrorism, but at the same time Congress should not let the basic needs of our public health system go unmet.

One piece of funding legislation that could appreciably improve our public health system, and which should be given priority, is the creation of a nationwide database to permit the faster detection of the onset of chronic diseases. A public interest group, The Trust for America's Health, says a health tracking network could alert officials to alarming increases in some diseases, such as asthma. Pinpointing the outbreak of diseases early on is critical for effective treatment. Collecting this information also could reveal whether outside factors may play a role in a disease's development, including pollutants in the air or harmful chemicals in the ground or water. Such a tracking system, its supporters say, even could collect data that would indicate more quickly if there has been a biological or chemical attack by terrorists.

The Trust for America's Health is seeking Congress' approval to set up a health tracking database in several states, a program that would serve as a pilot project. So far the House has approved $20 million, and The Trust for America's Health hopes that the Senate will follow the Senate's lead. Representatives from the Trust for America's Health, which met with the Sun's editorial board last week, are appreciative of the funding so far from the House. The fact is, however, that it is a far cry from what it would cost to put a program in place nationwide: $725 million. Congress should set aside at least $20 million for the pilot project; if there are promising results Congress should ramp up the funding to make the network more extensive. Improving the quality of health care in this nation should be a top priority -- with or without terrorism.