In a JAMA Viewpoint, Nova Scholar Steve Woolf provides insights on how to respond to the new U.S. administration’s controversial policies affecting public health, science, and medicine.
Within the first week of the new administration, executive actions withdrew the country from the World Health Organization; restricted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; censored vast amounts of health data; and rolled back ACA and Medicaid protections. Changes at agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised urgent questions for the medical and scientific communities.
Dr. Woolf argues that the duty to uphold evidence-based policy remains paramount, and that, in adhering to the science, professionals advocate against policies that limit access to care, undermine public trust, or contribute to worsening health outcomes. “Regardless of the popularity or powerful interests behind a policy, the responsibility of the profession is to speak out when the science is clear that it will threaten health or safety.”
