Jan 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent notices to states and partners pausing public health grants that add up to about $5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

HHS did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

“The temporary pause is for HHS to implement a new review process and to ensure funds are used for their intended purposes,” a spokesperson for the agency told Bloomberg.

Public Health Infrastructure Grants are awarded over a five-year period to help departments aid their workforce and carry out data modernization as per the grant’s website.

Last year in March, the department canceled more than $11 billion in federal grants to states that were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic and were being used for tracking mental health services, addiction treatment and other urgent health issues.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

(Reporting by Anusha Shah in BengaluruEditing by Rod Nickel and Chizu Nomiyama )