Public Health - Is Federalism a Challenge to Public Health?

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When it comes to public health, these things don't have state boundaries. I mean, a a flue or coveit can pass through state boundaries and does not care about federalism at all. The c d cs budget dropped over all from 20 ten to 29 ten over the same time period. Local public health departments lost more than 50 thousand jobs due to funding cuts. And we also saw a ton of privatization during this time, so the hiring of private contractors to do what the government used to do.

Data is the lifeblood of public health, and has been since the beginning of the field. But essential data gathering for the COVID pandemic was hindered by a couple of of underlying weakness in the US public health apparatus. We have a fractured system where the power lies in US states that don't always coordinate effectively. Also there has been inconsistent funding. When there was an immediate crisis, there would be an infusion of cash. But then, when the crisis passed, the resources would evaporate.

We take a look at data gathering in regards to public health from the 1600s to today and how it might change in the future.

Support for this episode was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. RWJF is working to build a culture of health that ensures everyone in the United States has a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. If you have a hunch about how changes to the way we live, learn, work and play today are shaping our future, share it here: www.shareyourhunch.org