Bloomberg American Health Summit Highlights Importance of Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times

Michael R. Bloomberg and public health leaders emphasized the need to uphold the importance of evidence and drive bipartisan support for public health in 2025 and beyond

The Bloomberg American Health Initiative released new report on why U.S. lags behind U.K. in life expectancy 

The Bloomberg American Health Summit convened public health leaders, government officials, community organizations and researchers who called for advancing evidence-based research and policy that can prevent harms that are holding back life expectancy in the U.S.

A new report, released by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the summit, found four preventable causes of death – cardiovascular disease, drug-related overdoses, firearms and motor vehicle crashes – explain a nearly three-year life expectancy gap between people in the U.S. and U.K.

The Summit was hosted in Washington, D.C. by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bloomberg Philanthropies, with the theme “Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times.” 

Speakers from public health, government, and local communities, spanning the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Everytown for Gun Safety and Johns Hopkins University, came together to share progress and recommendations.

Highlights and commentary from featured speakers on December 3:

• Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P., 108th Mayor of New York City and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases & Injuries, said: “The next pandemic isn’t a question of ‘if.’ It’s a question of when. We need government leaders who are capable of preparing and responding effectively – including by supporting the development of new vaccines. Putting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of that work would be beyond dangerous. It would be medical malpractice on a mass scale…. I believe in science. And for generations, Americans did too, which produced innovations and breakthroughs that changed the world, time and again. But now, too many Americans reject facts and seek their own. The burden is on us to unite our nation behind an optimistic belief in the science of vaccines and future cures that will save countless lives. Ours is a mission of public health. It is noble. It is needed. And it is our job to bring everyone along.”
• Xavier Becerra, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spoke to the future generation of public health leaders about navigating the uncertain path in front of us and said: “To those of you who are students or are hoping to save lives – science doesn’t change. Politics might, but science doesn’t. Go forward with the tried-and-true process that we use in science for health, in which your North Star is evidence. Evidence based on research and evidence based on practice – not on politics. Don’t stop. Keep going. Be as intentional today as you were when you decided to go into this field, and you will make a difference, and you will save lives.”
• Francis S. Collins, Distinguished Investigator, National Institutes of Health, speaking on his experience supporting Operation Warp Speed during the COVID pandemic and the role misinformation played in vaccine hesitancy, said: “In eleven months, we produced an mRNA vaccine that had unprecedented safety and efficacy compared to anything that we could have hoped for. It was a remarkable success, showing how the government can really work effectively in that situation…. But a mass amount of troublesome misinformation and some intentional disinformation, especially on social media, caused people to doubt the vaccine. The saddest statistic comes from a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. On the basis of misinformation that caused people to decide to not trust the vaccine, 234,000 Americans died between June 2021 and March 2022. That’s like three jumbo jets crashing each day for nine months – and that was all because of misinformation.”
• John Feinblatt, President, Everytown for Gun Safety, said: “By 2020, guns had become the leading cause of death for children and teens. Today, this issue has become so politicized – and that’s an understatement. We need to make talking about gun safety as simple and straightforward as talking about seatbelts…. It’s important to remember that we’re not talking people into having guns or out of having guns, what we’re talking about is safety.”
• Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Representative, 3rd District of Connecticut, spoke on the role of politics in public health and bridging the divides that face us: “Public health is not a game where we can walk away from a bad hand or simply wait for our next turn. It is a constant struggle, which impacts the daily lives of over 330 million people. If we do not do our jobs and advocate for [the people], no matter how difficult, nothing will get better. It is more important than ever that we look beyond partisan divides for opportunities to work together…. We must stand firm about the importance of science, not just as a word, but as an active process – a constant process of gathering new evidence, testing and retesting our ideas, and learning.”
• Cory Booker, U.S. Senator, New Jersey, spoke about the importance of fixing our food system: “Our food system has become a threat to public health. Now controlled by a handful of big multinational companies that prioritize profits over public health, these companies want us to believe that diet-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes are somehow a moral failing, that they represent a lack of willpower or a failure to exercise enough. That is a lie. It is not a moral failing – it is caused by a combination of corporate greed and federal policy failures…. But there is a movement growing across our country to reform our food system…. I am going to make sure that no matter who is President of the United States, we push the FDA to use its existing legal authority and ban toxic chemicals from our food.”

Marking its seventh year, the Bloomberg American Health Summit was first held in 2017 in Washington, D.C. This year’s summit was the first major public health event that gathered key experts and politicians for urgent discussions around the importance of defending science following the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

To watch the full recording and to hear from other key health officials and leaders of nonprofit organizations from around the country, click on the livestream recording link below.

Photo and Video Assets for Media Use:

• Photos: Photos are available for download and use here.
• Videos: The livestream recording is available here.
  • A recording of Michael R. Bloomberg’s remarks is available here and the full speech is available here.
  • PHOTO AND VIDEO CREDIT: Bloomberg Philanthropies
• Social: See posts tagged with #BAHISummit2024

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About the Bloomberg American Health Initiative:
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative was developed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to tackle five core issues that deeply challenge the nation’s health: addiction and overdose; adolescent health; environmental challenges; food systems for health; and violence. The Initiative’s work with faculty, fellows, and collaborating organizations is building a dynamic nationwide network committed to harnessing data and developing new approaches to public health that will ensure a healthier future for all Americans. Learn more here: Bloomberg American Health Initiative.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contacts:

Caitlin Hoffman, Bloomberg American Health Initiative, choffman [at] jhu.edu (choffman[at]jhu[dot]edu) 

Veronica Lewin, Bloomberg Philanthropies, veronical [at] bloomberg.org (veronical[at]bloomberg[dot]org)