As Delaware County works to carve out its own health department, it’s lack of one points to a bigger problem nationwide, writes Chelsea Janes and William Wan for The Washington Post.

The Post included Delaware County’s dilemma in its report, noting that at a time when local health departments are most needed, many across the nation are unequipped to provide even basic functions.

Local public health agencies lost almost 60,000 workers, almost a quarter of their workforce since 2008.

Less than 3 percent of the $3.6 trillion spent on health annually goes to public health and prevention. Global consensus is that amount should be at least 6 percent.

Delaware County’s situation is an example of how local public health is perceived.

“I think the general population didn’t really realize we didn’t have a health department. They just kind of assumed that was one of those government agencies we had,” said Delaware County Councilwoman Monica Taylor. “Then the pandemic hit, and everyone was like, ‘Wait, hold on — we don’t have a health department? Why don’t we have a health department?’ ”

The current strategy of under-funding public health until there’s a crisis does nothing to provide long-term solutions.

Read more about America’s public health problem here.

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