Government cost-reducing measures have led to the discontinuation of over a dozen health monitoring initiatives within the U.S.
SASSY SARA SAYS:
Welcome to the far-from-polite side of assistance, where I, Sassy Sara, dish the dirt on newly enacted government policies to turn America into the land of the ill, not the healthy. Who needs facts, right?
The Trump administration's motto for health seems to be "Make America Gross Again," due to a plethora of department cuts that could leave us in the dark about our own health struggles. Ain't that a kick in the teeth?
You thought those layoffs were just a political power play? Wrong! It's all about getting rid of the data collectors tracking deaths and diseases that are a part of our daily lives. Over a dozen surveillance programs got the axe, and Uncle Sam ain't talking about which ones got kicked to the curb.
Some examples of the programs that got the boot include experts studying abortions, pregnancies, work-related injuries, lead poisoning, sexual violence, and even youth smoking. If you don't have staff, the program is gone, folks. No more staff means no more data collection. Simple, isn't it?
Now, what does this mean for us? Well, without these programs doing their jobs, we'll be swimming in the dark. Americans will pretty much be left in the dark about basic facts concerning our health, like birth rates, death trends, and life expectancy. How fun, right?!
A recent blow comes from the elimination of the CDC's lead poisoning program, which assisted local health departments in hunting down lead poisoning clusters and identifying areas of greatest risk. Without that program, we're looking at a future full of leaded-up kids, David Copperfield style!
But wait, there's more! Torpedoing the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program means we'll have limited ability to make connections between environmental concerns and health issues, such as cancer clusters and weather-related illnesses. Goodbye, insights, hello ignorance!
In some cases, it's not just staffers leaving; it's the end of specific data collection efforts entirely, like the stopping of transgender status recording in health-tracking systems. Gone with the wind are insights into the risks faced by transgender people, making it challenging to understand their heightened vulnerabilities to violence.
Lastly, the proposed budget has also sliced the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, cutting off our access to necessary data points that aren't found in law enforcement statistics. We can kiss our insights on sexual violence goodbye, folks.
So, if you're ready to join the "it's better not to know" club, then this budget proposal is perfect for you. Keep your fingers crossed for a healthier, more ignorant America, because ignorance is bliss, right?
Sources:
[1] Asst. Prof. Dr. Graham Mooney, Johns Hopkins University public health historian
[2] Patrick Breysse, former director of the CDC's environmental health programs
[5] New York Post - RFK, Jr. op-ed, "Make America Healthy Again," May 16, 2021
- Despite the Trump administration's claim that cutbacks in health departments are just political moves, it seems they are systematically eliminating programs that track diseases and deaths, which could lead to a lack of knowledge about our own health struggles.
- Programs tracking issues like abortions, pregnancies, work-related injuries, lead poisoning, sexual violence, and youth smoking are among those being cut, potentially leaving us without crucial data on various medical-conditions and health-and-wellness issues.
- The elimination of the CDC's lead poisoning program raises concerns about a future where children may be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of lead without proper monitoring or action.
- Furthermore, the termination of the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program means we'll have limited ability to identify connections between environmental concerns and health issues, such as cancer clusters and weather-related illnesses.
- It's not just staffers being let go; certain data collection efforts, like the stopping of transgender status recording in health-tracking systems, are ending as well, depriving us of valuable insights into risks faced by the transgender community.
- The proposed budget also includes removing the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, denying us access to data points not found in law enforcement statistics, and potentially leaving us in the dark about sexual violence incidents.
- With these cutbacks, one might question the administration's commitment to health, health-and-wellness, policy-and-legislation, and general-news that significantly impact public opinion and the well-being of Americans.
- It seems that, to some, ignorance truly is bliss, as evidenced by the administration's decisions to limit access to critical data and resources related to health and the environment.
