995: CDC Funding Impact Report, Falls Prevention, EVD

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, September 22, 2025. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

1. NADINE GRACIA:

We tallied and analyzed the current and proposed cuts, agency reorganizations and workforce reductions, and the impacts that they will have on the nation's health and economic security.

SILVERS: 

That's Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, the president and CEO of Trust for America's Health, or TFAH, during a recent briefing about a report that details the impact to public health by changes to CDC funding. Gracia joined Rhea Faberman, TFAH director of strategic communications and policy, Lori Freeman, the CEO of NACCHO, and ASTHO CEO Dr. Joseph Kanter.

JOSEPH KANTER: 

I am alarmed by the findings. The reductions and instability in public health funding highlighted in this report are deeply troubling and I think warrant further examination of the potential effects on the health of communities across the country.

SILVERS: 

Kanter says the impact of CDC funds affects everyone.

KANTER: 

About 80% of every dollar that goes into the CDC ends up going out to support really important public health work that's happening in communities across the country. I am deeply concerned about the threats to that type of work.

SILVERS: 

Kanter used his own experience as the former state health director in Louisiana to explain why these cuts are harmful.

KANTER: 

I can name many, many outbreaks and other public health threats that I lacked the capacity to fully respond to, or the experts needed, on my own within my agency, and relied on the CDC for expert opinions. Again, these are things that the public would likely never know about, but in the background.

SILVERS: 

For more information about the report, you can head to TFAH's website, or for easy access, click on the link in the show notes.

This week is Falls Prevention Awareness Week, and Oklahoma is working to engage communities in prevention efforts. Here's Madelyn Maxwell with the Oklahoma State Department of Health Injury Prevention Service.

MADELYN MAXWELL: 

15 older adults die and 154 are hospitalized each week due to a fall-related injury. So, this really equates to around 800 deaths and 8,000 hospitalizations each year, and Oklahoma is actually higher than the national average. So, we really want to take this opportunity, this year, to really expand our fall prevention efforts.

SILVERS: 

Maxwell says this is something everyone needs to be aware of.

MAXWELL: 

We want to educate not only older adults, but also the public and providers on, you know, those different risk factors, such as physical risk factors, behavioral risk factors, and environmental risk factors. But we also want to increase the knowledge of study, which is stopping elderly accidents, deaths, and injuries, to increase that knowledge for providers.

SILVERS: 

Currently, Oklahoma is working to identify individuals and organizations that work with the aging population to help.

MAXWELL: 

We do know that, especially in Oklahoma, transportation is a huge barrier, because we are that rural state, so, we really want to identify partners in rural areas to bring, you know, those evidence-based programs to older adults in their communities.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO also has several resources about healthy aging and preventing falls. Use the links in the show notes to learn more.

Also, coming up on October 2, it's the final session of ASTHO's succession planning webinar series. This session is all about putting the plan into action and how to implement a phased approach and align your succession plan with job descriptions and staff development goals. You won't want to miss it. You can sign up for this event now using the link in the show notes.

And if you did miss last month's Public Health Infrastructure Grant Annual Recipient Convening, don't worry. You can still check out the highlights. More than 900 public health professionals gathered in St. Louis and online for the event, which focused on strengthening public health through workforce development, data modernization, and sustainable infrastructure. Click on the link in the show notes to read more.

And the CDC has issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory about a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Currently, no cases related to this outbreak have been reported in the U.S. or outside of the Congo, and the risk of spread to the U.S. is considered low. The Health Advisory gives U.S. public health departments, clinical laboratories, and healthcare workers some guidance. We'll have a link to it in the show notes.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.