With MAHA on the rise, traditional public health regroups

"Dr. Georges Benjamin has seen many infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorism threats in the near-25 years he's led the American Public Health Association, or APHA, a professional group representing thousands of public health workers and researchers across the country. But the current crisis hitting the field is different: "I think public health is under attack by our own federal government more than anything else," he says."

"Under the leadership of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the movement aims to upend long-held norms in the health system, which Kennedy decries as "corrupt." MAHA emphasizes tackling chronic diseases with a focus on individual medical choice and comes with headline grabbing, Instagram-famous leaders and a set of solutions not based on the best available evidence, public health leaders say."

"The APHA's annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C. for the first time in over a decade, is taking a defiant stance. In an opening session titled "Mission Possible" focused on rebuilding the U.S. health system. "This year's mission is clear," said the announcer in a movie-trailer style video introducing the event, "Defend the integrity of public health. Protect vaccinations and immunization systems. Expose and resist political interference. And above all, never let fear win.""

Dr. Georges Benjamin reports that the current crisis in public health differs from past outbreaks and bioterrorism threats, asserting that federal government actions are undermining the field. The Trump Administration is making deep cuts to staffing and funding for the existing health system while the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement rises. MAHA, led by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., seeks to upend long-held norms, emphasizes individual medical choice, and advances solutions critics say lack the best available evidence. Traditional public health continues to prioritize systemic prevention of infectious and chronic disease. The APHA convened over 11,000 leaders in Washington, D.C., adopting a defiant agenda to defend scientific integrity, protect vaccination systems, and resist political interference.

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