Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a five-year, $120 million investment in support of efforts to combat the surge in drug overdose deaths since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Announced at the fourth annual Bloomberg American Health Summit, the commitment will expand the Bloomberg Opioids Overdose Prevention Initiative — launched in 2018 as a three-year, $50 million effort — to include the hard-hit states of Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Each state will receive $10 million in support over the next five years, and Pennsylvania and Michigan will receive $4 million over the next three years in addition to the initial investments they received in 2018 and 2019.

A partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the CDC Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Johns Hopkins University, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, and Vital Strategies, the initiative will advance efforts to scale existing projects and implement new programs and advocate for federal policies to expand treatment access and harm reduction. The funding will include support for technical assistance, direct services, and embedded staff at government agencies and other organizations to support state- and locally led interventions.

"The overdose epidemic is one of the worst public health crises we've ever faced — 254 Americans die every single day from drug overdoses. It's tearing families apart across the country, and we need bolder, nationwide action, especially from the federal government — but we can't afford to wait until that happens," said Bloomberg Philanthropies founder Michael R. Bloomberg, who serves as the WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. "Bloomberg Philanthropies is expanding our work to confront the crisis, by building on the data-driven approach we've taken in Pennsylvania and Michigan, where we've made some important progress....We know we can save lives from this crisis, and we will."

(Photo credit: GettyImages/Moussa81)