Release
WASHINGTON – The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and the CDC Museum announce the opening of "Health Effects of 9/11" at the Flight 93 National Memorial. The exhibition, on view October 18, 2024 through May 2025, offers Memorial visitors an opportunity to learn about 9/11's ongoing health consequences through moving visuals and firsthand stories of healing and resilience.
The Program collaborated with the CDC Museum and the 9/11 community to develop this exhibition, which serves as a vital educational tool to raise awareness about the ongoing health effects linked to 9/11 exposures.
Decades after 9/11, over 84,000 people have physical and mental health conditions related to their exposure to dust, smoke, debris, and the traumatic events.
"We are proud to partner with the WTC Health Program and the CDC Museum to bring this educational exhibit to the memorial," said Flight 93 National Memorial Superintendent Stephen M. Clark. "We want to reach the public and Shanksville responders who dedicated their service at this site and provide information on benefits to those facing 9/11 related illnesses."
The traveling exhibition features:
- 9/11 responder and survivor stories, images, and experiences,
- information on 9/11 exposures and the emergence of World Trade Center-related health conditions,
- the events and advocacy that established the WTC Health Program,
- research achievements that have led to improvements in medical treatment and knowledge, and
- a video of Program member testimonials, illustrations, and compelling photographs.
"As the World Trade Center Health Program continues our mission to provide compassionate medical care and treatment to more than 127,000 members who were impacted by 9/11, we draw inspiration from the resilience of the brave community of 9/11 responders and survivors we are privileged to help heal," said Captain Lisa Delaney, director of the WTC Health Program. "The Program thanks our partners at the Flight 93 National Memorial for sharing this important exhibition with their visitors, which helps us reach more survivors and responders around the country in need and deserving of care."
There are currently 149 Shanksville responders enrolled in the WTC Health Program. However, previous research shows it is possible more than 1,000 people responded to the Shanksville crash site. Due to a recent new authority from Congress, those who bravely responded to the Pentagon and Shanksville sites on 9/11, who were previously ineligible for the Program because of their response activity, may now qualify for Program monitoring and treatment benefits with no out-of-pocket costs upon enrolling in the Program.
The WTC Health Program is a limited federal health program administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Program provides no-cost medical monitoring and treatment for certified WTC-related health conditions to those directly affected by the 9/11 attacks in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and is authorized through 2090.
The Program encourages those who responded to the Pentagon and Shanksville to visit www.cdc.gov/wtc to learn more about eligibility and enrollment.
More information on how to plan a visit to see the exhibition is available on the Flight 93 National Memorial's website.