Science cannot be held hostage to words

Donald Trump’s decision could have devastating effects on public health

The Trump administration has banned the US’ apex health protection agency from using seven words and phrases — including ’foetus’, ‘diversity’ and ’transgender’ — in documents being prepared for the budget and the Congress. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) more than 12,000 employees in the US and around the world have also been forbidden from using ‘vulnerable’, ‘entitlement’, ‘evidence-based’ and ’science-based’ in official documents. The administration suggested ‘science-based’ or ’evidence-based’ be replaced with “CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes”.

The CDC’s raison d’être is using science- and evidence-based research to guide US health policy, prevent and control diseases, fund research and train scientists and public health specialists to save lives. Forbidding the use of these words in policy and budget health documents will virtually exclude vital, often life-saving, information being shared related to birth defects, abortion, sexually-transmitted infections, and disparities and vulnerabilities related in race, poverty and sexual orientation. Issues related to abortion, sexual orientation, and gender identity have already been sidelined since Mr Trump took office.

Environmental watchdogs accuse it of altering language and deleting scores of links to materials on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website to play down the effects of global warming and climate change. Some federal departments — including health and human services, justice, education, and housing and urban development— have dropped questions from surveys and website information about and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Science is evidencebased and cannot be held hostage to the consideration of the community and a president’s wishes.