Experts Warn Dismantling CDC’s Chronic Disease Center Could Harm Public Health
The proposed 2026 budget by the Department of Health and Human Services suggests dismantling the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which alarms public health experts due to its critical role in disease prevention, data collection, and workforce support at local levels. The center's functions are to be integrated into a new entity, the Administration for a Healthy America, raising concerns about program continuity and effectiveness, especially for preventable causes like tobacco use. Critics argue this move could weaken efforts to combat chronic diseases and undermine decades of public health progress, despite claims of streamlining and reducing waste.