This week is National Public Health Week, organized each year by the American Public Health Association. Public health has a long and effective history and public health nursing is central to its impact. Public health nursing focuses on the promotion of health, the prevention of illness, injury or disability and the maintenance of the health of populations, families and individuals. Public health science includes addressing infectious diseases outbreaks through evidence-based tracking and responses, protecting communities in crisis, such as wildfires, floods, toxic pollution discharges or the epidemic of gun violence. Public health also includes building healthy communities through clean water, healthy food programs and green space and exercise trails.



The federal government plays a critical role in securing the nation’s health through the work and expertise of numerous U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies that funnel expertise and funding for these programs to state and local health departments and provider and community organizations. The Trump Administration’s reorganization of federal health agencies, funding cuts and the devastating impact of reductions in force (layoffs) across HHS will disrupt and damage not only this progress but critically hamper our nation’s ability to respond to emerging threats to public health.

Cuts to the CDC and other HHS agencies such as FDA, NIH, SAMSHA and many others through mass lay-offs, reorganization and funding reduction make every community and every American more vulnerable to health threats. Poor, rural and other underserved communities plagued by health inequities, environmental injustice, food scarcity and other public health challenges will be most impacted by these devastating cuts.

Historically this is a week to celebrate the success of public health. But in 2025 it’s the time to raise the alarms about the devastating impact of these funding cuts, layoffs and foolish reorganization of public health, just to pay for tax cuts to corporations and the very wealthy in the Unites States. Nurses have a powerful voice as public health advocates. We must make our voices heard. Learn how at the ANAC Advocacy webpage.