Udall: Nearly $10 Million to Build Healthier N.M. Communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) announced today that Bernalillo County and the New Mexico Department of Health will receive a combined nearly $10 million over five years to support programs that encourage healthy living.

The Bernalillo County Office of Environmental Health will receive a grant of $497,353 per year for five years and the N.M. Department of Health will receive $1.5 million per year for five years. The combined total of nearly $10 million in grant funding is made possible through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"A healthier society is a more productive society. With communities in New Mexico experiencing record-high poverty rates, it is becoming more difficult for families to live in safe and healthy environments," Udall said. "This funding will help New Mexico families to make healthy decisions like eating right, staying active, and remaining tobacco-free."

Both projects will expand programs that target tobacco-free living, active living, healthy eating, quality clinical and other preventative services. The Bernalillo County Office of Environmental Health will focus first on preventing chronic diseases specifically in low-income areas with a heavy Native American and Hispanic population.