Coronavirus “highlighted the shortcomings of our public health system,” CDC director says
The coronavirus pandemic has “highlighted the shortcomings of our public health system that has been under-resourced for decades,” Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday.
That’s especially true for information technology, he said.
“Never has it been more clear that our nation’s public health IT infrastructure requires modernization, to support and collect reportable, reliable, comprehensive and timely data,” he told a House Appropriations hearing on the Covid-19 response.
“When we confront any disease threat, CDC and public health departments must make real-time decisions based on real-time data. Data forms the roadmap, and it informs policy. Data is the backbone of any disease threat response,” Redfield added.
