(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky is creating new offices as part of the agency’s revamp to prioritize public health response, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.
The CDC had said in August it would undergo a series of changes after months of criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 and the Mpox crisis.
Walensky is establishing an Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology aimed at closing up crucial gaps in monitoring for potential threats, the report said, citing a person who attended a town hall held on Tuesday at the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta.
The CDC director is also forming an Office of Health Equity that will report to her team, Bloomberg said, adding more of the agency’s units will report directly to her office.
CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The report added that Walensky has created a new position for a Director for External Affairs, which will focus on bolstering relationships with the government and nonprofits, although the role has not yet been filled.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
