When Silence Threatens Public Health: A Call for Transparency, Accountability, and Action
- rachelhardeman
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
On January 31, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quietly removed several vital public health datasets and webpages without warning, explanation, or public engagement. These weren’t minor updates—they were seismic shifts, effectively erasing the public’s access to information that drives equity-centered science, informs life-saving interventions, and protects entire communities.
As a member of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the CDC, I’ve joined colleagues in sounding the alarm. We’ve issued a series of urgent letters to both the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), demanding answers, transparency, and a halt to harmful actions that undermine the very infrastructure of public health.
A Timeline of Concern: Our Letters
February 1, 2025 — The Disappearance of Data
Our first letter raised grave concerns about the sudden disappearance of foundational datasets including:
The Atlas of HIV, Hepatitis, TB, and Social Determinants of Health
The Social Vulnerability Index
The Environmental Justice Index
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
We asked six direct questions regarding the rationale, legal authority, and intended timeline for restoring public access. We also requested an in-person convening of the Advisory Committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
February 10, 2025 — Still No Response
After receiving no reply, we followed up with additional concerns and requested these issues be placed on the March 18 Advisory Committee meeting agenda:
Updates on the status and future of CDC datasets
Impacts of reported workforce reductions at the CDC
Disruptions to funding for critical public health programs
CDC’s diminished capacity to disseminate health guidance
February 17, 2025 — A Warning on Layoffs
In response to indiscriminate staff layoffs at CDC initiated by HHS on February 14, we warned:
“This reduction of CDC’s workforce in the name of ‘efficiency’ is misguided. It is also dangerous.”
We highlighted the risks of losing highly specialized public health experts in the middle of multiple global and domestic health threats—including Ebola, influenza, and avian flu. These cuts threaten to collapse the very systems that keep Americans safe.
April 1, 2025 — The Breaking Point
The most recent letter outlines a sweeping crisis unfolding within CDC due to the elimination of entire programs and termination of key experts—many of whom were informed without any notice and immediately placed on leave.
Among the impacted areas:
Asthma and HIV prevention
Violence prevention and reproductive health
Worker safety, birth defect prevention, and global health security
These cuts, paired with the clawback of $11.4B in public health and COVID-19 grants, have led to a cascade of disruptions in services across states and communities. We are now calling for an immediate meeting with HHS and CDC leadership to mitigate the damage and exercise our full advisory role as mandated by Congress.
Why This Matters
This is not just bureaucratic disorganization—it’s a deliberate unraveling of public health capacity. It’s a blow to science, truth, and the communities who rely on both to survive and thrive. We cannot address inequities, track disease, or respond to health crises if we are blind to the data and stripped of expertise.
These actions don’t just silence datasets—they silence people. And we will not stay silent in return.
Learn More + Take Action
Read my latest blog unpacking the broader implications of this moment: When Public Health Disappears
And if you want to understand how I and my fellow members of the CDC Advisory Committee are responding, read all four letters:
We are fighting for a public health system that is transparent, accountable, and rooted in justice. We hope you’ll join us.