Infectious Disease Preparedness in an Era of Disinvestment

In recent years, the US public health apparatus has weathered mounting fiscal stress, shifting political priorities, and deep cuts at the federal level. Proposed reductions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claw backs of COVID-era funding, and reorganization of health agencies threaten to hollow out core infectious disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health equity infrastructure. Meanwhile, threats from emerging pathogens, antibiotic resistance, and global disease spillover haven’t abated — indeed, many believe risk is rising. This panel will explore how stakeholders across the ecosystem are responding to this tension between rising biological threats and deteriorating public health support. What is being lost, what creative adaptations are underway, and where are the pressure points for emerging biotech innovation, local public health systems, and policy advocacy?