Proposed Census Overhaul Could Undermine Public Health Data, Experts Warn

Federal officials are proposing three major revisions to the U.S. Census. The plan would drop questions on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation and would count only U.S. citizens, leaving out non-citizens entirely.

Public-health researchers argue that the missing data would make it harder to monitor health disparities and to direct funding to communities that need it most. Without reliable demographic information, tracking disease patterns and allocating resources could become less precise.

The article also notes that the Make America Healthy Again movement, which helped boost the current administration, is fading from the political spotlight. Advocates say the group’s focus on issues such as ultra-processed foods has not yet translated into concrete policy changes.