The abrupt departure of thousands of full-time employees from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as of April 1, 2025, has created uncertainty and chaos across multiple agencies, and losses to infectious disease may threaten public health for years to come, according to experts.
The strategy announced in a statement from HHS on March 27 called for a reduction of another 10,000 employees, in addition to those offered early retirement and subject to previous cuts.
From an infectious diseases standpoint, the HHS restructuring is slated to fold the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an HHS fact sheet on the changes.
However, the loss of experts with long-term experience and knowledge will hamstring disease prevention efforts, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
“We cannot do the complex and serious work of protecting Americans from infectious diseases amid this chaos and confusion,” said Tina Tan, MD, president of IDSA, in a statement from IDSA in response to the job cuts. “The profound loss of the critical expertise at the Department of Health and Human Services, our nation’s highest office responsible for the health of the American public, will make our country significantly less safe from both chronic and infectious diseases,” she said.
“The elimination of large swaths of highly trained and dedicated employees at HHS and throughout the agencies it oversees, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other offices responsible for protecting America’s health, is counter to the goal of keeping America healthy,” Tan added.
“We call on Congress to conduct appropriate oversight to promote public understanding of these changes and the significant negative impact they will cause. We must ensure that critical functions necessary to promote Americans’ health, national security, and prosperity are firmly maintained,” Tan said in the statement.
HIV Deaths Will Mount
The loss of expertise and resources to combat HIV, which had transformed HIV from an almost guaranteed fatal condition to a manageable chronic illness, is a grave concern, said Colleen Kelley, MD, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, in the IDSA statement.
“The rapid dismantling of our country’s HIV public health and scientific workforce will cost human lives,” Kelley said.
The cross-agency cuts will be especially detrimental, she emphasized.
“In addition to the losses across the Department of Health and Human Services, the elimination of entire branches within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV Prevention Division devoted to evaluating interventions, developing treatment guidelines and targeting resources where they are needed most will result in chaos, inefficiencies, and interruptions in essential care,” said Kelley.
Tan and Kelley had no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.
