Public health crises and infectious diseases know no gender, no socioeconomic group and no borders, U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) said during a visit to Yale School of Public Health on Monday. “We need to protect, detect and respond collaboratively to outbreaks around the world.”
As part of the School’s Health Policy Leadership series, DeLauro offered an insider’s perspective on preserving the health care safety net. While addressing immediate challenges—such as the ongoing fight to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Congress, the veteran legislator also stressed the need for greater commitments to public health issues such as the opioid crisis and mental health.
DeLauro compared the ACA to the introduction of Social Security in the 1930s. “There are fundamental problems with the ACA, but no one thought Social Security would work. Now it is ingrained into the fabric of our society.” DeLauro warned that repealing or “sabotaging” the ACA will not preserve quality health care, but will, in fact, result in taking away affordable health care options for most Americans.
She explained that while government funding for health care may seem high, in relation to the rising costs of biomedical research, funding has actually decreased more than $6 million if it is adjusted to inflation rates for technology and research.
We need to protect, detect and respond collaboratively to outbreaks around the world.
U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Ongoing cuts have not just affected essential research, but also the ability to stop emerging global health threats. DeLauro led support for the Public Health Emergency Fund Act, which would have provided $5 billion for an emergency fund to prevent and fight pandemics and outbreaks such as Zika and Ebola.
“Public Health emergencies are just as important as natural disasters,” she emphasized. “Billions of dollars were immediately accessed for Hurricane Irma and Harvey relief. But it took nearly seven months last year to get funding approved to assist with the Zika virus outbreak.”
“During her 26 years in Congress, Rosa has been a champion of people who don’t have a voice, and has fought to right the wrongs of injustice of people’s health,” Dean Sten Vermund said during his introduction of DeLauro. The Congresswoman was invited to speak by Shelley Geballe, assistant clinical professor of public health, as part of her Health Policy and Management class.
Surviving her own fight with ovarian cancer led DeLauro to take on more public health issues and she thanked Dean Vermund for his commitment to the future of public and global health. She also addressed the student audience telling them they are building a rich tradition and can push to improve global health systems. “I promise to continue to fight by your side,” she ended.