Five Years After COVID-19 Pandemic Declaration, Public Health Faces New Challenges

Despite hard lessons from the pandemic, funding cuts and declining trust in health institutions leave the U.S. less prepared for future outbreaks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 1.2 million lives in the U.S. and nearly 7.1 million globally since 2020, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks in history.
Public health agencies like the CDC, NIH, and WHO played critical roles in pandemic response but now face significant funding cuts and workforce reductions in the U.S.
The U.S. has withdrawn from the World Health Organization and reduced investments in pandemic preparedness, raising concerns about the ability to respond to future health crises.
Trust in public health institutions has eroded, fueled by political polarization and misinformation, complicating efforts to rebuild confidence in science and health guidance.
Emerging threats such as H5N1 bird flu, measles outbreaks, and long COVID continue to strain public health systems, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated action and investment.