The current Ebola threat has called attention to cuts in public health programs essential for preventing such an emergency in the first place, the Tampa Bay Timesreports.
Gov. Rick Scott has demanded federal aid to prepare for the disease, but has also overseen a 13 percent cut in staff at the Florida Department of Health since 2010, the Times reports.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has experienced cuts, as current rates of funding for public health preparedness and response activities are $1 billion lower than they were in 2002, according to the Times.