ISSUE
Public Health Infrastructure
When we provide local health departments with sustained and predictable funding, they can not only protect the public in health emergencies, but they can also address ongoing health issues our communities face. Investment in foundational public health needs – like communication, policy development, workforce development, and community partnerships – leads to measurable improvement for our communities.
Policy recommendations
Our policy recommendations boil down to investing in the public’s health. Instead of focusing almost exclusively on individual, clinical care, the U.S. needs to invest in promoting and protecting the health of whole populations (neighborhoods, cities, counties, states, or regions).
As a country we spend nearly $3.5 trillion on health care – that’s 18% of our GDP, far more than other wealthy nations spend. Meanwhile, only 0.5% of the total GDP supports prevention and protecting the public’s health. It’s time to flip the script.
We need to invest in the public's health
Read our policy brief We need to invest in the public's healthWell-funded local infrastructure enables work such as (images below): mobile services for neighborhoods that have little health care access (Seattle); programs that intervene in community violence before it starts and support local youth (Minneapolis), lead testing for children and removal of lead from older homes (Los Angeles); and greening projects that contribute to safer neighborhoods and healthy food access (Philadelphia).
Member spotlight
Public Health Infrastructure Grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided an unprecedented opportunity to maintain and expand critical public health services as COVID-19 emergency funding drops off. We urge Congress to continue this transformative line of funding to local health departments.
Learn how big city health departments are putting this funding to work in our stories below.
Frontline Blog
“Unprecedented investment in the nation’s public health infrastructure
“This funding is long overdue and a much-needed shot in the arm for big city health departments,” said Chrissie Juliano, MPP, BCHC’s executive director. “Our members have an especially acute need to not only maintain their emergency preparedness but also attend to enduring public health challenges like substance use and overdose, and violence and structural racism.”
