Hey, this is Flor Lixman, and you're listening to Science Friday.

Between layoffs at the CDC and a shakeup of its leadership, changing vaccine guidelines,

a government shutdown, declining public trust, where do we go from here?

Can state and local public health agencies pick up the slack? Are there other solutions?

Joining me now to talk about it is Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director under President Obama,

and president and CEO of the Global Public Health Organization, Resolved to Save Lives. He's also

the author of the new book, The Formula for Better Health, How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own.

Tom, welcome back to Science Friday.

Great to speak with you.

Okay.

So, you know, we've talked a lot on this show about what's happening right now with the cuts to public health and cuts to science, vaccine skepticism.

So I really want to look ahead.

You know, we've heard from former CDC scientists that now is the time for state and city public health agencies to step up.

Do you agree? It's absolutely the time for lots of organizations, especially state and local governments and also

philanthropy and non-governmental organizations, to fill the gap as one thing that needs to be done,

even though there is no replacement for a competent national public health system or public

health approach. And second, to begin not building back, but

building forward, figuring out and trying new things so that public health can be faster with

more impact, better at communicating, including listening, with stronger alliances so that we can make more progress.

And really, that's what the formula for better health is about.

It's an approach, an approach that has been proven to save millions of lives.

It's see, believe, create.

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