John,

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic grew, another public health threat was claiming lives at a record level.

Overdose deaths rose more than 30% from the previous year, killing over 93,000 in communities across the country. That's 254 people each day -- more than ten deaths every hour.

This morning at the Bloomberg American Health Summit -- a virtual gathering of public health experts, government officials, innovators, advocates, and others -- Mike announced a major expansion of our fight against this devastating epidemic: Bloomberg Philanthropies is investing $120 million to expand the Bloomberg Opioids Overdose Prevention Initiative, building on what we've learned since its 2018 launch, and bringing proven, life-saving interventions to more communities.

To learn more, read the piece Mike wrote with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers about the importance of this investment, and the work to save lives across the country.

The Bloomberg Opioids Overdose Prevention Initiative -- a partnership with the CDC Foundation, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Johns Hopkins University, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Vital Strategies -- began with a $50 million investment to support programs in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Those early efforts showed that a public health approach -- rather than a criminal justice focus -- helped save lives. Watch a video showcasing a successful example of the work our Initiative supports in Philadelphia:

The new investments will build on what we and our partners have learned to expand the Initiative to Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, while continuing the work in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

"The overdose epidemic is one of the worst public health crises we've ever faced," said Mike. "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."

He added: "We know we can save lives from this crisis, and we will."

Read more about the new investments in Mike's message with the governors:

https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/580810-a-fresh-approach-to-fighting-americas-opioids-epidemic

And watch the video to see the kind of success story we hope to replicate across the country:

https://www.bloomberg.org/videos/12364/

Thanks,

Bloomberg Philanthropies