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Hollowed Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus

Fernando Zhiminaicela
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Pixabay, Used with permission

The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and it lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century.

An investigation by The Associated Press and KHN finds that since 2010, spending for state public health departments has dropped by 16% per capita and by 18% per capita for local health departments. At least 38,000 public health jobs have disappeared, leaving a skeletal workforce for what was once viewed as one of the world’s top public health systems.

It's left the U.S. unprepared to deal with a virus that's sickened at least 2.6 million people and killed more than 126,000. 

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