Washington, DC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today it will award $30 million to 23 state health departments over the next five years as part of the Core State Violence and Injury Prevention Program (Core SVIPP).

The funds will support states’ comprehensive strategies addressing critical injury and violence issues such as child abuse and neglect; traumatic brain injury; motor vehicle crash injury and death; and intimate partner/sexual violence.

“The enormous number of lives lost and the high costs of injury and violence underscore the need for effective prevention,” said Deb Houry, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center). “Core SVIPP will help states implement evidence-based programs and policies to prevent injuries and violence and the considerable cost to society. This has the potential to touch thousands of lives.”

The program helps states share lessons learned on these issues, highlight successful strategies, and bring together partners to prevent violence and injury.

Awarded through a competitive application process, Core SVIPP strategies include educating health department leaders and policy makers; engaging stakeholders; developing evaluation plans; disseminating surveillance; and conducting evaluations for continuous quality improvement.

The 23 states that will share in the five-year grant are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Surveillance Quality Improvement (SQI) and Regional Network Coordinating Organization (RNCO) are two optional enhanced components. Four of the 23 states (Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland and Massachusetts) received SQI funding and five of the 23 states (Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Washington) received RNCO funding.

CDC’s Injury Center is committed to working with its partners to promote action that reduces injuries, violence, and disability by providing leadership in identifying priorities, promoting prevention strategies, developing useful tools, and monitoring the effectiveness of injury and violence prevention program activities.