This week, 15 governors from across the country came together to form the Governors Public Health Alliance — a new partnership focused on keeping public health decisions based on facts, data, and science.
The Alliance was created in direct response to the lack of clear, evidence-based and scientifically sound leadership, guidance and decisions coming out of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services these days.
The Alliance has four initial main goals:
- Public health guidance – Governors and health experts will align policies, like vaccine recommendations, across member states so people and providers get clear and consistent evidence-based information.
- Health threat detection – Member states will share information quickly about new diseases or health risks, bypassing CDC.
- Emergency preparedness – States will work together to plan for and respond to public health emergencies.
- Global health liaison – Connect with international health organizations to stay informed about worldwide health issues.
The group includes both Democratic and Republican governors, as well as a team of public health experts who will advise their work. Their mission statement says they want to make sure public health decisions are “driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people” — not politics, as is largely the case right now with the HHS agencies.
Arizona isn’t a founding member but there’s still time to join, and we urge Governor Hobbs to do so.
You can learn more about the Alliance soon at www.govsforhealth.org
