Americans need policymakers in both parties to ensure that good health is no longer a privilege but a right. Central to achieving that vision is a well-functioning Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the resources necessary to save lives and improve health.
In the 13 years I spent working at the CDC, no two days were exactly alike. I investigated outbreaks of E. coli infections, led the CDC’s emergency response office when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, and managed the agency’s initial response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. While I was focusing on infectious diseases and disaster preparedness, my colleagues were addressing worker safety, lead poisoning, tobacco control, disability inclusion, nutrition and physical activity. The letters “CDC” originally stood for “Communicable Disease Center,” but the meaning changed as our nation’s leaders increasingly recognized that health was about more than just addressing infectious diseases.
The above is an excerpt from a letter to the editor originally published in The Washington Post.
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