New York, N.Y. –– As someone who has spent a lifetime engaged in humanitarian efforts, I have seen firsthand the devastation that disease and poor public health infrastructure can bring to vulnerable populations. That’s why I am deeply alarmed by Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These reckless reductions in funding threaten to cripple our ability to detect, prevent, and respond to emerging health threats. Given what we endured with COVID-19, it is unfathomable that we would so willingly set ourselves up for another pandemic.
The WHI and CDC play critical roles in global disease surveillance, vaccine distribution, and outbreak preparedness
These institutions are not just domestic safeguards; they are frontline defenses against pandemics that can spread across borders in a matter of weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that health security anywhere is health security everywhere. Yet, rather than strengthening our defenses, Trump is slashing resources for the very agencies designed to keep us safe.
History has shown us that pandemics are not once-in-a-lifetime events. In the past two decades alone, we have faced SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19. Scientists warn that it is not a question of if another deadly outbreak will occur, but when. The most effective way to mitigate such threats is through robust global cooperation, early detection, and well-funded response strategies. Gutting these programs to save a fraction of the federal budget is not just shortsighted—it is dangerous.
Beyond the public health risks, these cuts also threaten global stability
Pandemics do not just take lives; they cripple economies, destabilize governments, and widen the gaps of inequality. A well-prepared health infrastructure is not a luxury; it is a necessity for maintaining national security and global order.
The Pandemic of 2020 should have been a wake-up call
Instead, we are witnessing a return to the same ignorance and political posturing that left us vulnerable in the first place. Cutting funding for pandemic prevention is like dismantling the fire department after surviving a massive blaze. Have we learned nothing?
As a nation, we cannot afford to repeat past mistakes. We must demand that Congress block these cuts and instead invest in strengthening public health infrastructure, both at home and abroad. The cost of inaction is measured in lives lost, economies shattered, and societies upended. If we fail to act now, we will pay a far greater price when the next pandemic inevitably arrives.
History will judge us for the choices we make today. Let’s not be remembered as the generation that saw disaster coming and did nothing to stop it.
Trump’s Cuts to Public Health Put World at Risk of Another Pandemic (Feb. 15, 2025)
Discover more from The Stewardship Report
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
