Much of the recent increase in deaths from substance abuse and suicide can be traced back to social problems such as unemployment, former Department of Health and Human Services official Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, said Tuesday at a briefing on population health sponsored by Politico.
“Dramatic underinvestments in the public health infrastructure prevent [taking advantage of] opportunities around preemption and prevention,” said DeSalvo, who served as both acting assistant secretary for health and as national coordinator for health information technology in the Obama administration.
