Underfunded And Under Threat

A series examining how the U.S. public health front lines have been left understaffed and ill-prepared to save us from the coronavirus pandemic. The project is a collaboration between ϳԹ News and the AP.

Essential and in Danger: Coronavirus Sickens, Even Kills Public Health Workers

ϳԹ News Original

As the coronavirus threatens the nation’s public health army, an outbreak in Maryland reflects the tension between serving the community and protecting workers from a deadly disease.

Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes Fly Free as Health Departments Focus on Coronavirus

ϳԹ News Original

Health departments and other public agencies tasked with protecting the nation from disease-carrying mosquitoes are overstretched amid the coronavirus pandemic — even as the nation is told it’s safest to be outside.

Ex-West Virginia Health Chief Says Cuts Hurt Virus Response

ϳԹ News Original

The former West Virginia public health leader forced out by the governor says decades-old computer systems and cuts to staff over a period of years had made a challenging job even harder during a once-in-a-century pandemic.

How We Reported ‘Underfunded And Under Threat’

ϳԹ News Original

To assess the state of the public health system in the United States, KHN and The Associated Press analyzed data on government spending and staffing at national, state and local levels. Here’s what data we used and how we did it.

Six Takeaways Of The KHN-AP Investigation Into The Erosion Of Public Health

ϳԹ News Original

KHN and The Associated Press sought to understand how decades of cuts to public health departments by federal, state and local governments has affected the system meant to protect the nation’s health. Here are six key takeaways from the KHN-AP investigation.

Listen: Threats, Pressure Prompt Some California Public Health Officials To Leave Office

ϳԹ News Original

California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KQED’s Lily Jamali on “The California Report” and Alison St John on KPBS’ “Midday Edition” to discuss the threats that public health workers are facing as they enact pandemic protections.