evidence: Public health funding saves lives and money. The United States public health system aims to keep Americans safe and healthy through prevention, preparedness and surveillance programs, and serves as the first line of defense against epidemics. Increased spending on public health programs is associated with a decrease in mortality from preventable causes such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Public health program spending accounts for less than 10% of all health care expenditures in most countries, yet its impact can be substantial. An investment of $10 per person per year in evidence-based community health programs could save the U.S. more than $16 billion annually. That is a potential savings of $5.60 for every $1 invested. The public health response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical weaknesses caused by chronic underfunding of these systems at state and national levels, driving home the importance of prioritizing this area. [...] Mays, Glen P., and Cezar B. Mamaril. "Public Health Spending and Medicare Resource Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of U.S. Communities." Health Services Research 52, no. S2 (2017): 2357–77. https://doi.org/doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12785.