FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, OVER 3000 FROM THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. MORE THAN A THOUSAND FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, 300 FROM THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS FROM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS SLASHING THE AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY IN AMERICA. DOCTOR ASHISH JHA IS THE DEAN OF THE BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. LET’S HOP RIGHT INTO THIS. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THESE AGENCIES ARE KIND OF MANAGING BEHIND THE SCENES. ABSOLUTELY. AND WE DON’T THINK ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY WORK PRETTY WELL. SO FOR INSTANCE, YOU MIGHT HAVE GRANDMA IN A NURSING HOME. THAT NURSING HOME NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS INSPECTORS THAT ACTUALLY GO INTO NURSING HOMES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE MEETING FEDERAL STANDARDS. WE HAVE MANUFACTURING PLANTS THAT MAKE ALL OF OUR DRUGS. WE SEND IN INSPECTORS INTO THOSE PLANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S NOT ADULTERATED MEDICINES COMING OUT OF THOSE PLANTS. SO THERE’S A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES THAT MAKES IT EASY FOR US TO GO ABOUT OUR DAILY ACTIVITY, NOT WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER THE MEDICINES WE’RE TAKING OR THE FOOD WE’RE EATING IS SAFE OR NOT. WHO EXACTLY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING LAID OFF? UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYTHING WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR SHOWS ME TWO THINGS. WE’RE LAYING OFF SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE IN THESE AGENCIES, THE EXPERTS WHO’VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR WORK. AND THE SECOND IS PEOPLE WHO DO THOSE CRITICAL SERVICES, LIKE INSPECTING NURSING HOMES, LIKE INSPECTING MANUFACTURING PLANTS FOR MEDICINES. SO THESE CUTS ARE INDISCRIMINATE. AND I REALLY WORRY THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF AMERICANS. DOES HHS HAVE A WIDE NETWORK OF THINGS THAT WILL IMPACT, SAY, THE STATES, EVEN THOUGH WE’RE TALKING ABOUT FEDERAL LAYOFFS? YEAH. SO FIRST OF ALL, THE PUBLIC HEALTH BUDGETS OF YOUR STATE OF OF TOWNS, A LOT OF THAT IS MONEY COMING FROM THE CDC THAT IS GOING TO DRY UP. AND THAT MEANS WE WILL SEE LAYOFFS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE OF CITIES AND STATES. THE SECOND IS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUTBREAKS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT THE CDC HELPS MANAGE, THEY’RE BRINGING IN PRIVATE COMPANIES. SO IF YOU’RE GOING TO BRING TESTS, THE CDC SOMETIMES HAS ITS OWN TESTS, BUT OFTEN THEY WILL BUY THOSE TESTS FROM PRIVATE COMPANIES. IF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ALL BEING CUT. NOT ONLY ARE THE CDC EMPLOYEES AFFECTED, NOT ONLY ARE THE STATE EMPLOYEES AFFECTED, BUT THE COMPANIES THAT SUPPLY THE TESTS OR SUPPLY THE TREATMENTS THEY’RE LOSING BUSINESS. THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, HAS SAID YOU HAVE TO DO MORE WITH LESS. THAT’S THE QUOTE. DO YOU THINK THAT’S POSSIBLE? WELL, IT DEPENDS A LOT ON WHO’S BEING LAID OFF. WHEN YOU PUT PRESSURE ON PEOPLE TO LEAVE, THE BEST PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPTIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR IN IN UNIVERSITIES, THEY’RE THE FIRST ONES TO LEAVE. SO I WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE WORKFORCE THAT WE WILL END UP WITH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’VE ACTUALLY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES. WE HAVE TURNED THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AROUND. IT’S STARTING TO COME DOWN. WE ARE STARTING TO SEE GAINS IN CANCER AND HEART DISEASE MORTALITY. I WORRY THAT THOSE THINGS WILL STALL AND WE WILL NOT CONTINUE MAKING THE PROGRESS WE NEED TO MAKE. TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU THINK THE U.S. COULD LOSE ITS POSITION AS A LEADER, SORT OF, IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE, WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING KIND OF ON THE WORLD STAGE? BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE HAS BEEN THIS HUGE BOON FOR AMERICA IN TERMS OF GENERATING JOBS, GENERATING TREATMENTS THAT HAVE HAD BIG IMPACTS ON PEOPLE’S HEALTH, NOT JUST FOR AMERICA, BUT THEN WHEN THOSE TREATMENTS GET OUT INTO THE WORLD, THEY OBVIOUSLY MAKE EVERYBODY ELSE’S HEALTH BETTER AS WELL. BUT IT ALSO GIVES US THIS HUGE INTELLECTUAL ADVANTAGE IN TERMS OF SOFT POWER. PEOPLE LOOK TO AMERICA. PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO AMERICA TO DO THAT NEXT GENERATION OF CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH THAT GENERATES A LOT OF WEALTH FOR OUR COUNTRY. AS WE’RE MAKING THESE CUTS. CHINA RIGHT NOW IS MAKING MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN ITS BIOMEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE IT BELIEVES THAT AS AMERICA WITHDRAWS, IT CAN STEP IN, TAKE THAT INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE. OUR BENEFITS ARE SUBSTANTIAL FROM THAT LEADERSHIP. BUT I WORRY WE’RE TURNING OVER THAT LEADERSHIP TO CHINA. DOCTOR ASHIS