U.S. Epidemiology Workforce Has Major Gaps Despite Growth Due To Covid-19; Sustainable Funding Critically Needed

ATLANTA, Dec. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) identifies major gaps in the applied epidemiology workforce despite recent growth due to surge staffing for the COVID-19 pandemic response. While CSTE reports the highest-ever number of epidemiologists nationwide, significant gaps exist and the sustainability of current workforce levels is under threat, with gaps in emerging areas, such as data analytics, mental health, occupational health and genomics (mapping of genes used to identify COVID-19 variants).

"The recent growth of the epidemiology workforce is very encouraging, but it results from short-term hiring for the COVID response, and we must sustain this growth beyond the pandemic to address the long-standing gaps in our workforce," said Janet Hamilton, MPH, CSTE's Executive Director. "We've seen historic increases in emergency funding via several COVID-19 relief bills; however, a long-term strategy and commitment to fund the epidemiology workforce is crucial. Failure to invest now will leave us more vulnerable than ever to respond to COVID-19 and other health threats acute, chonic and emerging."

Conducted nationwide from January-April 2021, CSTE's Epidemiology Capacity Assessment (ECA) found over a third of the workforce is concentrated in infectious disease (ID), with an additional 24% specifically in COVID-19 response. These numbers reflect a large influx of short-term funding to combat COVID-19. However, continued investment in infectious disease and the heavy focus on COVID-19 has left significant gaps in other areas. For example, the 2021 ECA counted only five genomics epidemiologists nationwide, a staggeringly low number considering the growing need for whole genome sequencing, which is used to detect the presence of COVID-19 variants. Given the mental health repercussions of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, there is also dire need for mental health epidemiologists. This ongoing shortage must be addressed.

Despite the  staffing surge for COVID-19, at the state and territorial levels alone 2,196 additional epidemiologists are needed to deliver basic public health services across all program areas. As many as 8,000 additional epidemiologists are needed to achieve public health transformation in state, local, territorial and tribal health departments. Many prominent areas, including chronic disease and maternal and child health, suffered a decrease in epidemiologists, which is likely due to the reallocation of staff from their regular jobs during COVID-19. The 2021 ECA findings also highlight the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining the applied epidemiology workforce. Tasked with working long hours for an extended period of time, epidemiologists are facing unprecedented burnout and fatigue. In addition, health departments struggle to offer competitive salaries and opportunities for advancement, forcing many to leave for the private sector.

State health departments continue to rely heavily on federal funding for epidemiology personnel and activities. In 2021, 39% of funding for health departments came from short-term COVID-19 federal supplemental funds. To continue long-term growth within the epidemiology workforce, there is continued need for sustainable, non-disease specific funding to allow departments to meet the needs of their jurisdictions.

"Long hours in response to COVID-19, mental health concerns and other factors have caused attrition in the current workforce," adds Hamilton. "To retain our talent, grow and better prepare for the next pandemic, government leaders at every level must seek to bolster the epi workforce by supporting sustainable, long-term investment in infectious and non-infectious disease areas and workforce training initiatives."

To access the 2021 ECA report and its findings, please click HERE.

About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of applied epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories. For information, visit https://www.cste.org/

Contact: Jeremy Arieh, Director of Communications, 770-458-3811, email: [email protected]

SOURCE Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists