This report, a part of TFAH’s (Trust for America’s Health) annual public health funding series, found a continuing pattern of underfunding of these vital programs.
“While the United States spends an estimated $3.6 trillion annually on health, less than 3 percent of that spending is directed toward public health and prevention. Furthermore, public health spending as a proportion of total health spending has been decreasing since 2000 and falling in inflation-adjusted terms since the Great Recession. Health departments across the country are battling 21st-century health threats with 20th century resources. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates this reality in the starkest of terms.”
To read the complete report authored by Trust for America’s Health, click here. An earlier but related report also underscores the detrimental impact of persistent federal funding reductions to the nation’s programs that bolster public health and medical readiness.