Where did the CRI program come from and what is its purpose?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided special funding in 2004 to 20 cities and the District of Columbia for the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) Pilot Program. Funding was provided to enhance the ability of these cities to rapidly distribute life saving drugs to their population. The primary goal of CRI is to minimize loss of lives during a catastrophic public health event by distributing needed drugs to 100% of each region's population within a 48-hour timeframe. Cities were selected based on their population and geographic location.
In 2005, an additional group of 16 metropolitan areas were funded as CRI “lean forward” sites. These cities were awarded limited funding to begin the initial planning and development of their CRI plan. The Portland metropolitan area is one of the lean forward sites. This region includes the seven counties that surround the city of Portland: Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, Skamania, Washington and Yamhill.
Finally, in 2006 additional cities or regions were identified as CRI regions, making at least one CRI region in every state or territory in the US. There are now 72 CRI cites/regions.
For more information visit the CRI Fact page at the CDC Website: www.bt.cdc.gov/cri/
