News

ALL: Please disseminate widely!

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 A Plea to Governmental Leaders and their Constituents: “Save the integrity of USA Public Health”  

 One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team

Mission Statement - One Health Initiative

https://onehealthinitiative.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/A-Plea-to-Governmental-Leaders-and-their-Constituents-to-Save-the-integrity-of-USA-World-Public-Health-FEBRUARY-2025.pdf

 

The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program, established in 1951, has evolved into the critical role in strengthening the public health workforce.  It is the frontline of defense and offence against infectious diseases.  One of its legendary leaders, an avid One Health advocate, is credited with implementing the worldwide smallpox eradication program.  EIS trainees have been instrumental in fighting epidemic and potential pandemic diseases.  In addition, the drastic reduction in National Institute’s of Health (NIH) personnel and funding will result in a multitude of irretrievable biomedical research opportunities towards advancing innovative health care for all.

The Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) was founded in 2015 as a sister program to the EIS to provide complementary training to future public health laboratory leaders. The LLS plays a crucial role in strengthening our nation’s public health capacity. LLS fellows provide expertise in laboratory science, ensuring accurate disease detection, outbreak response, and biosafety. Their work complements that of EIS officers by integrating epidemiological investigation with advanced laboratory diagnostics.  Together, EIS and LLS fellows identify, track and respond to outbreaks and other public health emergencies.

Today we face a potential Avian Flu challenge (and possibly others) that could mutate into another disastrous threat to our health and safety.  There is an Avian (bird) influenza outbreak spreading not only among birds, dairy cows, pets, but also reaching people.  This is a dreadful six-alarm fire that needs to be addressed by the best governmental scientific minds available.

 The CDC has been and continues to be the premier public health agency in the U.S. and worldwide. Its One Health office has become integral to providing a synergistic approach to prevention and management of zoonotic diseases transmissible from animals to man like COVID-19, potentially AVIAN Flu (H5N1) and others).

The current alleged governmental dismantling of CDC’s ‘tried and proven’ programs and invaluable professional scientific personnel will prove a disastrous, nightmare scenario, if implemented as reported in the media from the White House.  Downsizing at and CDC, including any loss of EIS and LLS and/or NIH as well as other health related agencies shall put every unborn and born child, man and woman of all ages at grave risk. 

 Please contact the White House, your Congressional delegation, local and state political leaders and let them know you want this across-the-board downsizing decision reconsidered and reversed ASAP!”

Thank you for considering!

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One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team:

Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP ▪ Bruce Kaplan, DVM ▪ Thomas P. Monath, MD ▪ *Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH ▪ Thomas M. Yuill, PhD

▪ Craig N. Carter, DVM, PhD ▪ Becky Barrentine, MBA ▪ Richard Seifman, JD, MBA

*Deceased November 6, 2020