There are too few people working at c d c headquarters in atlanta who have worked for two or five or ten years at a county or city or state or global health department embedded. And so doctor freedon has proposed is having thousands of staff on the c d c pay roll who are actually imbedded in county and city health departments for a few years, and then rotate back to HQ. That's an interesting suggestion. Are there any indications that the c dC is seriously looking at this, or changing its culture in it in any way? Well, i mean, i have not heard anything like what doctor freedon is proposing, like a cultural exchange between the c d C
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
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