CDC quietly changes the definition of their 'research' mission to 'equity'

The CDC in Atlanta has been busy doing a complete re-work of their "essential public health services", but it seems to have gone almost completely unnoticed.

These changes have a huge impact on the focus of the organization, changing it not-so-subtly from "research" to "equity".

Here is the CDC's ongoing definition of the main components of the public health system in the USA:

• Public health agencies at state and local levels
• Healthcare providers
• Public safety agencies
• Human service and charity organizations
• Education and youth development organizations
• Recreation and arts-related organizations
• Economic and philanthropic organizations
• Environmental agencies and organizations

And here are the original essential public health services, as defined by the CDC the first time they did so, back in 1994. These were in full effect in the organization up until just now:

1. Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems
2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues
4. Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
8. Assure competent public and personal health care workforce
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems

However, on Sept. 9 of last year, these ten essential services were swapped out for ten brand new ones, which are listed below for comparison:

1. Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets
2. Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population
3. Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it
4. Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health
5. Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health
6. Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health
7. Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy
8. Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce
9. Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement
10. Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health

Strangely, the media has remained largely silent on such a sweeping change for a major organization. The CDC has a huge impact on public health, especially considering the US (and the rest of the world) is still in the middle of a pandemic.

A spokesperson for the CDC said in a prepared statement:

"The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve equity, the Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and overall community conditions that enable optimal health for all and seek to remove systemic and structural barriers that have resulted in health inequities."

"Such barriers include poverty, racism, gender discrimination, ableism, and other forms of oppression. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being."