Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality

Funding for enhanced surveillance will assist states and key stakeholders in improving prevention and response efforts by providing more timely data on fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses and in-depth information on risk factors. $12.8 million is being awarded to 12 states to better track opioid-involved overdoses over a three-year project period starting Fall 2016.

Through a competitive application process, CDC selected the following states to receive program funds: Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. States will use the funding to:

• Increase the timeliness of reporting nonfatal and fatal opioid overdose and associated risk factors;
• Disseminate surveillance findings to key stakeholders working to prevent opioid-involved overdoses; and
• Share data with CDC to support improved multi-state surveillance of and response to opioid-involved overdoses

Funding for improved surveillance is one of CDC’s key investments to inform opioid overdose prevention efforts. These new investments are made possible with the increased funds that Congress appropriated to CDC in fiscal year 2016, which support the agency’s overarching Overdose Prevention in States effort. As the opioid overdose epidemic evolves, CDC will continue to provide scientific expertise, enhance surveillance activities, and tailor resources to address states’ growing and changing needs.