Dangerous Distractions: Imaginary Threats Impede Preparedness for Real Public Health Concerns

Abstract

It is easy to think that the most significant public health concerns in the U.S. today are the current outbreak of Ebola in West African and children migrating from Central America. However, as outlined below, these situations may not pose as great a threat as often imagined. Unfortunately, these issues have so dominated the public health agenda in the U.S. that they are actually diverting attention away from genuine public health concerns. For example, the effects of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are being felt in Texas and throughout the Gulf Coast states, and yet these conditions are disproportionately ignored and overshadowed.