The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent notices to states and partners pausing public health grants that add up to about $5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.
"The temporary pause is for HHS to implement a new review process and to ensure funds are used for their intended purposes," a spokesperson for the agency told Bloomberg.
Public Health Infrastructure Grants are awarded over a five-year period to help departments aid their workforce and carry out data modernization as per the grant's website.
Last year in March, the department canceled more than $11 billion in federal grants to states that were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic and were being used for tracking mental health services, addiction treatment, and other urgent health issues.
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