At the conference’s opening plenary session, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis was honored with the distinguished HIV Medical Association Transformative Leader Award—a recognition bestowed upon individuals whose vision, commitment, and innovation profoundly influence the trajectory of HIV medicine and public health leadership. The award underscored his years of service and his influential role in shaping equitable strategies for disease prevention and care across diverse communities.
Only a few months earlier, in August, Daskalakis had tendered his resignation from his position as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In his letter of resignation, he candidly explained that divergent perspectives within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership had created tension that deeply constrained his ability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of his role. He expressed concerns that the prevailing leadership’s priorities no longer aligned with the values of evidence-based policy and community partnership that he considered indispensable to public health work.
When he came forward to accept his award, Dr. Daskalakis used the platform to articulate a compelling vision for what he believes constitutes an effective response to infectious disease threats. He explained that the fight against such diseases demands a combination of rigorous scientific inquiry, unwavering political will, and an authentic process of co-creation with the very communities most affected. In his view, genuine progress arises not only from scientific understanding but from empowering partnerships between policymakers, researchers, and marginalized populations who possess lived experience that cannot be replicated by data alone.
Daskalakis’s remarks quickly evolved into a sober reflection on the current state of public health infrastructure. He warned, with palpable urgency, that each of these pillars—science, political resolve, and community collaboration—is under unprecedented assault. Yet he urged the audience to see this challenge not merely as a period of decline but as an extraordinary opening for principled leadership. With striking clarity, he described how public health institutions are being systematically dismantled, how political motivation has shifted from constructing solutions to deliberately eroding them, and how ideology is increasingly polluting objective science. He lamented that vulnerable communities, whose voices should be central to decision-making, are instead being sidelined and erased from the conversation. Concluding this section of his speech, he issued a passionate appeal: that everyone committed to health equity must become a transformative leader, working collectively to rebuild the systems that protect human well-being.
According to reporting by Mike Stobbe of the Associated Press, the conference’s context reflected the same atmosphere of tension Daskalakis described. Some CDC employees reportedly disclosed that they had been explicitly instructed not to attend the event, despite having received invitations to participate. When questioned about these claims, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated that the Trump administration’s stance was that federal scientists should indeed share their research findings and expertise openly with professional peers and the wider public. She added, however, that participation in such gatherings is subject to careful review, in order to ensure full compliance with ethical standards and the appropriate stewardship of taxpayer resources. This response attempted to balance concerns over governmental oversight with an affirmation of transparency and academic exchange.
That same month, HHS communicated another significant directive to leaders of prominent medical organizations—many of whom were present at the conference—informing them that they would no longer be allowed to contribute to vaccine recommendation processes, an activity that these external experts had historically been integral to. The decision marked a notable break from longstanding collaborative practice, signaling growing political intervention in what had previously been uncontroversial areas of scientific advisory work.
As Daskalakis brought his remarks to a close, he called upon the audience to confront these turbulent times with what he termed “moral courage.” He urged his colleagues to navigate what he described as “the dark ages” of public health not with resignation but with resilience, integrity, and an unyielding commitment to truth and compassion. His words resonated powerfully, prompting the entire assembly to rise in a prolonged standing ovation—a spontaneous expression of solidarity and appreciation for both his eloquence and his conviction.
Later, in an email sent to Business Insider, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard reiterated Secretary Kennedy’s vision for the CDC and its future. She stated that, in his view, the agency had been fractured and weakened for an extended period, but that he was determined to restore it as the world’s most trusted steward of public health. This, she emphasized, would be achieved through sustained, systemic reform. Kennedy’s objective, she explained, is to refocus the CDC on its fundamental mission—protecting health through evidence, transparency, and service—while dismantling the insular internal culture that has eroded public trust. Her statement painted a picture of a federal agency at a crossroads, torn between bureaucratic inertia and the urgent need for renewal, yet still anchored in the shared aspiration of safeguarding the health of communities worldwide.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/infectious-disease-experts-gather-in-atlanta-amid-public-health-challenges-2025-10
