Oklahoma gets nearly $5 million in health grants

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded nearly $5 million in grants to Oklahoma to support programs aimed at preventing chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will administer the grants, which are partially funded under the federal health care law. The grants aim to strengthen local and state programs to reduce rates of death caused by tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The health department says chronic diseases are responsible for seven of 10 deaths among Americans each year.

Oklahoma received grants totaling more than $4.9 million. Those grants were awarded to the state of Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board.