President Donald Trump’s purge of federal workers has reached public health agencies, leaving many with uncertain futures. At least 2,500 employees across several departments have been terminated or forced to leave their jobs, including those safeguarding the American public from harm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are among the agencies affected. Some employees reported being fired without cause, while others were let go due to performance issues. The cuts have raised concerns about the impact on public health programs and the expertise that will be lost.
Dustin Brace, a former FDA employee, said his team’s workload increased significantly after many staff members were terminated. “More mistakes may be made because the workload is so much higher,” he stated.
Arielle Kane, who worked on an innovative program to make childbirth safer in the US, was among those fired. The program aimed to address maternal health disparities and increase access to prenatal care, but it was halted just months after its launch due to Trump’s administration.
Amy Paris, a deputy digital services lead for the organ procurement and transplantation network, also lost her job. She worked on modernizing the system, which had been plagued by failures, including an outdated IT infrastructure. The cuts have set back the reform effort indefinitely.
The purge has raised concerns about the impact on public health and the expertise that will be lost. As one former employee stated, “We are hollowing out our government in a way that is going to hurt people and is going to get people killed.”
Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-federal-workers-public-health-hhs