State communities can apply for UW grant to fight diseases

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Wisconsin communities can start applying next month for a piece of a federal grant aimed at preventing serious diseases.

UW-Madison was awarded $23.5 million in September. It plans to give the money to local health departmens and community groups for three major projects -- encouraging apartment complexes to go smoke-free, increasing access to exercise facilities and fresh food, and screening for heart disease in places where it's not done now.

The university's Tom Sieger says the goal is to encourage environments where quote, "the healthy choice is the easy choice." Ten communities are expected to get funding by March. The UW grant, plus a similar one in Milwaukee, were originally opposed by state health officials.

State Health Secretary Dennis Smith blocked the two applications this summer, saying the state has enough disease prevention efforts. But he later changed his mind.

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