(Washington) -- A new report questions whether state and federal budget cuts are hurting emergency preparedness in the Commonwealth. The Trust for America's Health is concerned about lower funding levels for programs that detect and respond to bioterrorism, new disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Deputy Director Rich Hamburg says Pennsylvania is one of 40 states that saw decreased funding in general for public health services. He says the Commonwealth saw a six percent decline from 2009 to 2010. "We need to change the mindset of policymakers and appropriators to better understand that we need an ongoing investment in emergency preparedness," Hamburg says. He adds funding public health preparedness is just as important as funding other organizations that respond to disasters. He says emergency preparedness is an area that seen a steady decrease government funding nationwide over the past five years. The trend is a striking reversal of sharp increases in such funding in the years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.