Public Health Girding for Funding Challenges in 2024
(Washington DC – February /March 2024)
The Nation’s Health
Barely a year after the official end to the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic emergency — and the increased attention to public health that came with it — public health advocates are bracing for cuts.
Beginning in 2020, health departments experienced an influx of federal emergency dollars to respond to the deadly pandemic and address the gaps it exposed, such as serious workforce shortages and outdated information technology. Even as advocates urge policymakers to allocate sustained, adequate funding, many see a funding cliff on the horizon and waning appetites among lawmakers to prioritize public health.
