NACCHO Releases Recommendations for the Next Presidential Administration and 119th U.S. Congress (view press release)
Key Priorities Include Supporting the Local Health Department Workforce, Increasing Public Health Investments, and Enhancing Collaboration with Local Public Health Leaders
Washington, DC, October 22, 2024 — The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the over 3,300 local health departments across the country, released its recommendations for the incoming presidential administration and 119th Congress. Public Health is Local: NACCHO’s Recommendations for the Next President & 119th U.S. Congress highlights priorities to strengthen the overall public health sector by focusing on the needs and assets of local health departments.
NACCHO’s overarching recommendations for policymakers with respect to national public health policy are to:
Local health departments are on the frontlines of public health and play a unique role in the nation’s governmental public health system. The following recommendations provide federal policymakers with critical public health priorities and clear actions that, if taken, will improve the nation’s health and resiliency.
Strengthen and Modernize the Governmental Public Health System
Local health departments operate on limited and unpredictable budgets that do not allow for investments in necessary infrastructure or staffing. In the decade prior to the pandemic, local health departments lost over 20 percent of their workforce capacity, and it is estimated that 80,000 more full-time equivalents – an increase of nearly 80 percent – are needed to provide a minimum package of public health services. While emergency funding helped fill some staffing roles, those funds are expiring and the jobs they support are expected to disappear. Similarly, there is a need for more timely, accurate public health data during emergency responses, but also in non-emergency situations, to rapidly identify, track, and respond to daily public health challenges of all types.
To address these core issues:
Improve Health for All Americans Through Investments in Prevention and Upstream Interventions
Federal investments in local public health departments are increasingly critical as the nation’s life expectancy rates work to recover from recent declines and health care costs rise. Unfortunately, funding for public health initiatives has not kept track with the need. Moreover, cuts over time to the Prevention and Public Health Fund and through recent recissions put public health practice at risk.
To address these key funding challenges:
Maintain Innovations and Prepare for Future Public Health Emergencies
Recent emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, or accidents like the East Palestine train derailment, have shown the important role local health departments play on the frontlines of protecting communities and coordinating with state and federal partners on emergency response. It also has highlighted important innovations and policies that should be supported to build our nation’s public health resilience.
To strengthen the system, NACCHO recommends the following:
Ensure Local Health Department Expertise Informs Federal Public Health Policy and Action
The role of local health departments is unique from that of state and federal levels. Their leaders and staff have unique insight into the many assets and challenges facing their community, relationships with key decision makers and trusted leaders, and can quickly mobilize local partners into action. This expertise is necessary to ensure that federal and state policies and programs are workable on the ground.
To ensure local expertise helps inform broader public health efforts:
NACCHO stands ready to be a partner to the next Administration and 119th Congress to improve public health so all Americans can thrive. View and download Public Health is Local: NACCHO’s Recommendations for the Next President & 119th U.S. Congress.