Statement of Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Global Health Advocacy Incubator
February 05, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States plays a vital role in supporting global public health. U.S. leadership in this area affirms our ideals as a country, promotes U.S. interests and influence, and protects Americans from health threats. This is why we are deeply concerned about recent actions by the new U.S. Administration that undermine public health in the United States and around the world.
The Administration’s decision to suspend most foreign assistance programs and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development has brought an abrupt halt to critical, lifesaving initiatives around the world, including efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition, improve maternal and child health services, and prepare for the next pandemic. It is also concerning that the Administration has halted the publication of real-time public health data and ordered the removal of invaluable public health research and information from websites for the CDC and other government agencies, especially information about health disparities. This information is essential to informing the public about health risks, monitoring and responding to health threats, and shaping policies that save lives, including policies we support to reduce tobacco use and help communities struggling with the opioid overdose crisis.
As an organization committed to a strong, data-driven public health system that meets the needs of all, we urge the Administration to reconsider these decisions. They will not make America healthier, safer or stronger.