Public Health News (U.S.)
U.S. Government Shutdown Impacts Key Health Services
The U.S. federal government shutdown that began today is causing significant disruption to federal health agencies and programs.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to face impediments to its communications and is halting research into health risks, though disease outbreak monitoring will continue.
- More than 32,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are set to be furloughed.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center will continue care for existing patients but will not admit new patients for clinical research studies.
- The political impasse behind the shutdown is primarily over Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which, if not renewed, would lead to health insurance premiums more than doubling for millions of enrollees next year.
Source: Al Jazeera, KFF Health News
Hospital Flood Risk and Climate Policy
A new investigation by KFF Health News reveals that at least 170 U.S. hospitals face a major flood risk. The report notes that these risks are being exacerbated by the current administration’s decision to rescind the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard and cut agencies responsible for forecasting and responding to extreme weather.
Source: KFF Health News
New State and Federal Health Policy Changes Take Effect
Several significant policy changes are in effect as of today:
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CDC’s FY 2026 ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding updates are officially in effect for all patient encounters and discharges. Source: CMS, AAPACN
- In North Carolina, new standing orders allow pharmacists to officially test for the influenza virus and immediately treat with appropriate antiviral medications, enhancing public access to timely flu care. Source: NCDHHS
Global Health News
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the theme, “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters.”
- The initiative highlights the global disparities in survival rates, which drop significantly in low and middle-income countries due to unequal access to early detection and treatment.
- The WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative aims to ensure that 60% of invasive breast cancers are diagnosed at Stage I or II.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
Yellow Fever and Global Funding Crisis
The WHO is preparing for its 8th annual meeting for the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy later this month. The meeting is taking place amid a backdrop of a resurgence of Yellow Fever epidemics in parts of Latin America, compounded by global financial constraints and funding cuts that are impacting the capacity of countries and international agencies to prevent and respond to outbreaks.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
European Focus on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released an updated protocol for the genomic surveillance of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), a critical step to counter the significant threat posed by these highly resistant bacteria to healthcare systems across the EU/EEA.
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
