The article discusses impending layoffs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other public health agencies across the U.S. Following a large-scale reorganization announced by Chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr., approximately 20,000 jobs in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are set to be eliminated, with around 10,000 layoffs expected. Employees received instructions to prepare for potential job losses, with access to government buildings being revoked. Kennedy criticized the HHS for being an inefficient bureaucracy that hasn’t improved American health, and plans to streamline operations by merging agencies.
Current and former officials expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the decision-making process behind these cuts. Reports indicated that many health workers focused on infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, were placed on leave, and several advisory committees canceled meetings. An official from HHS stated that the intention is to consolidate operations and minimize redundancy. The layoffs extend beyond federal agencies, impacting state and local health sectors significantly due to over $11 billion in cuts to COVID-19-related funding. Local health departments have begun identifying job losses as a direct result of this funding decrease.
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