The Trump administration has shut down a key advisory committee at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that is responsible for setting infection control standards in hospitals nationwide.
The committee, known as the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), was terminated on 31 March, but members were only informed weeks later.
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The CDC is the national public health agency of the United States, responsible for protecting public health and safety by promoting disease control, prevention, and preparedness.
The infection control committee was instrumental in developing guidelines followed by hospitals and healthcare providers to prevent infections, including practices for hand hygiene, masking, and isolating sick patients.
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According to NBC News, the termination of the committee was confirmed in a letter sent to members after a virtual meeting last Friday. The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce.
Notably, shortly after his inauguration in January, President Trump signed an executive order that also paused all foreign aid assistance. This order affected several global health programmes, including some in Nigeria.
Global impact
Infection control standards set by the CDC, including those created by HICPAC, are frequently referenced worldwide.
For instance, many healthcare institutions in Nigeria look to the CDC and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to build and update local infection control policies.
The loss of timely updates from HICPAC may create uncertainty, especially in managing infections and emerging diseases.
According to the CDC letter, HICPAC has made 540 recommendations to the agency since its inception, more than three decades ago, 90 per cent of which were fully implemented.
Concerns for infection control
Experts who spoke with NBC News raised concerns that the termination of the committee will leave healthcare facilities without essential tools to address emerging threats, such as drug-resistant bacteria and new infectious diseases.
“At some point, when things need to change, the guidelines likely won’t change, and then people will be sort of flying by the seat of their pants,” Connie Steed, a HICPAC member since 2023 and former president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, was quoted.
Anurag Malani, a fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America who joined HICPAC in January, said the committee was close to finalising new guidelines for airborne pathogens before the termination.
The guidelines, which had not been updated since 2007, included a controversial recommendation that would allow surgical masks instead of N95 respirators to prevent the spread of certain pathogens, NBC reports.
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Jane Thomason, the lead hygienist at National Nurses United, also criticised the decision.
Ms Thomason also stated that without HICPAC’s public meetings, there is no longer any public access to the process for drafting CDC infection control guidance. “This further undermines safety for patients, nurses, and other health care workers.”
The CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.
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