CDC Director Schwartz Visits Alaska to Address Nation's Highest TB Rates

Alaska holds the highest active tuberculosis rate in the United States. Dr. Erica Schwartz, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, visited the state this week to investigate the factors driving those numbers.

Schwartz began her role in August. Alaska was the first state she toured in her new position. She cited the high TB statistics as the primary reason for choosing Alaska as her initial destination. "We should not be talking about tuberculosis rates that are similar to a third world country. That should not be. So that's why I'm here," she said.

The director traveled to Anchorage, Bethel, and Napaskiak. She said the trips helped her understand the public health challenges specific to the state, particularly within Alaska Native populations. She noted that seeing the physical remoteness of these areas clarified the concerns shared by Senator Lisa Murkowski. "When she speaks of rural, I now understand what rural really is," Schwartz said. "I mean, being at Bethel, being at (Napaskiak), that truly is rural. Once you see it, you will never forget it."

During the visit, Schwartz met with tribal health organizations and the state health department. The goal of these meetings was to identify areas for collaboration. She said the discussions focused on social determinants of health, including income, transportation, and housing constraints. She pointed out that multi-generational families often live in small homes, which facilitates the spread of infectious disease. "If you have one person who has active TB, guess what? The entire family is going to have active TB, and so we talked about, how do we look at those sort of non-medical issues?" she said.

The state health department lost at least $25 million in federal grant funding in 2025. Shortly after that loss, the state cut staff in the tuberculosis task force serving the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, an area with especially high TB rates. Schwartz did not answer whether the new collaboration would include funding or restore lost programming.

Schwartz said the discussions did not identify specific solutions. She explained that while the CDC cannot directly address housing access or other social determinants, it can highlight why these factors matter for public health.

The trip marked the first in-person state visit by Schwartz since taking office in August. She said the experience of visiting remote communities would inform her approach to the agency's work in other regions.