Trust, public health reporting and the CDC: Insider perspectives – Association of Health Care Journalists

Report on the Compromised Role of the CDC and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Public Health Integrity and Institutional Stability

Recent developments at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including staff departures and the removal of public data, have significantly undermined its capacity as a primary source for public health information. This erosion of a key public institution directly threatens progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The loss of reliable, transparent data and expert guidance compromises national and global efforts to manage disease outbreaks, inform public health policy, and maintain institutional trust.

Impact on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The diminished function of the CDC creates critical gaps in the public health infrastructure, jeopardizing the achievement of SDG 3 targets. The lack of accessible, up-to-date information has profound consequences for managing health crises and promoting well-being across diverse populations. Key areas of concern include:

• Infectious Disease Control: The absence of reliable CDC data on outbreaks hinders effective responses to epidemics, a core target of SDG 3.
• Non-Communicable Diseases: The undermining of information related to chronic disease and diet impedes efforts to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.
• Substance Use and Mental Health: Compromised guidance on drug use and harm reduction weakens public health strategies aimed at promoting mental health and well-being.

Challenges to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The dismantling of the CDC’s public-facing role represents a significant challenge to SDG 16, which calls for effective, accountable, and transparent institutions. When a stalwart public health agency is compromised, it erodes public trust and weakens the governance structures necessary for a stable society. This situation highlights the fragility of essential institutions and the critical need to protect their integrity to ensure they can serve the public good effectively.

Expert Analysis of the Public Health Information Vacuum

In response to these challenges, a panel of former senior CDC officials was convened to analyze the situation and provide guidance. The discussion, moderated by AHCJ Health Beat Leader Tara Haelle, focused on addressing the information deficit and its consequences for public health and the SDGs. The key objectives of the analysis were to determine:

1. The identification of alternative, reliable, evidence-based reporting resources to support ongoing public health journalism and policy-making.
2. The current status of data collection and communication regarding infectious diseases and which entities, if any, have assumed these responsibilities.
3. An assessment of the critical information and functions now missing from the national public health landscape.
4. The primary concerns regarding the potential long-term consequences stemming from the loss of this centralized body of expertise and communication infrastructure.

Panelist Profiles

• Debra Houry, M.D., MPH: Former Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science, CDC. Dr. Houry co-led the agency’s restructuring initiative to strengthen preparedness and data systems.
• Demetre C. Daskalakis, M.D., MPH: Former Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC. Dr. Daskalakis led national strategies for respiratory viruses and played a key role in responses to mpox and COVID-19, with a focus on health equity.
• Daniel Jernigan, M.D., MPH: Former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC. Dr. Jernigan has extensive experience in studying respiratory and emerging diseases.
• Tara Haelle (Moderator): AHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases & Medical Studies. An independent science and health journalist specializing in public health, medical research, and healthcare disparities.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article’s central theme is the threat to public health due to the compromising of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It explicitly mentions challenges in reporting on infectious diseases, drug use/harm reduction, chronic disease, and diet, all of which are core components of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. The loss of reliable data directly impacts the ability to monitor and respond to health crises.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article details the “dismantling of the CDC,” describing it as being “undermined” through “walkouts, layoffs and the disappearance of data and reports.” This points to the weakening of a critical public institution. The loss of the CDC as a “trustworthy information” source undermines institutional effectiveness, accountability, and transparency, which are central to SDG 16.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.3: End the epidemics of communicable diseases. The article highlights the compromised reporting on “infectious disease” and mentions specific outbreaks like measles, Legionella, COVID-19, influenza, and avian influenza, which former CDC officials managed. The loss of data collection jeopardizes the ability to combat these diseases.
   • Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases. The text states that the CDC has been undermined as a source of information about “chronic disease and diet,” which are key factors in preventing and managing non-communicable diseases.
   • Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. The article explicitly mentions that trustworthy information about “drug use/harm reduction” has been compromised, which is directly related to this target.
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity for early warning, risk reduction, and management of national and global health risks. The core issue described is the loss of the CDC’s capacity to provide “public health data and up-to-date information about outbreaks,” which is fundamental to managing health risks and preparedness.
2. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article’s description of the “dismantling of the CDC” and the “disappearance of data and reports” directly illustrates a decline in the effectiveness, accountability, and transparency of a key public health institution.
   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information. The primary problem for journalists and the public, as outlined in the article, is the loss of the CDC as a “stalwart resource for public health information” and the challenge of finding “reliable, evidence-based reporting resources.” This is a direct challenge to ensuring public access to vital information.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 3 Targets:
   • Incidence of specific infectious diseases: While not providing numbers, the article implies that tracking the rates of diseases like COVID-19, influenza, measles, and Mpox is a key function that has been compromised. The availability and reliability of this incidence data would be a direct indicator.
   • Vaccination coverage: The article mentions the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine program. The rate of vaccination coverage is an implied indicator for controlling communicable diseases (Target 3.3).
   • Mortality rate attributed to non-communicable diseases: By mentioning the undermining of information on “chronic disease and diet,” the article implies that data related to the prevalence and mortality of these conditions (Target 3.4) is at risk.
   • Health emergency preparedness capacity: The article’s focus on the “loss of this body of expertise and communication” and the restructuring of the CDC to “strengthen preparedness, data, and laboratory systems” implies that the nation’s capacity to respond to health emergencies (Target 3.d) is a key metric, which is currently perceived as declining.
2. Indicators for SDG 16 Targets:
   • Public access to government information: The article’s central conflict is the “disappearance of data and reports” and journalists’ struggle to find reliable information that was “formerly at a home at the CDC’s web pages.” The number and accessibility of public health reports and datasets published by the government would be a direct indicator for Target 16.10.
   • Public trust in institutions: The article describes the CDC as being undermined as a source of “trustworthy information.” Public perception and trust in the CDC and other public health institutions is an implied indicator for the effectiveness and accountability of these bodies (Target 16.6).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: healthjournalism.org