The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the largest agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services. The federal agency’s story began during the summer of 1946 when malaria was rampant in the South. Their sole mission back then was to prevent the disease from spreading any further than it had already.
Nowadays, their scope has broadened to the prevention and control of disease, food borne pathogens, environmental health, infectious and non-infectious diseases, occupational health and safety, injury prevention, and the promotion of overall health. Right now, they are the nation’s top leader in promoting health and preventing/preparing for things such as disease outbreaks. The CDC also works with other organizations, like OSHA, to help provide new workplace safety measures during an infectious disease outbreak.
CDC and Other Agencies
The CDC operates within its centers, institute, and offices, together known as CIOs. These facilities are what assist the CDC in gathering information quickly as they each operate under their own expertise.
For example, there is one department for infectious diseases and one for non-infectious diseases. There is also a department for public health science and surveillance, an implementation science sector, and several others. By sharing resources, all of these departments are able to provide the public with consistent and well-researched information.
The CDC also works with other international groups like the World Health Organization (WHO). One of the programs that they are both working on currently is the International Health Regulations (IHR).
IHR involves 196 countries following a legally binding agreement where they must report, control, and prevent the spread of disease internationally. It involves initiatives such as the Global Disease Detection Program. To aid in this endeavor, the CDC has staff members in over 60 countries that are there to help monitor disease outbreaks that may occur.
Additional CDC Facts:
- The CDC was originally named the Communicable Disease Center when it was established in 1946. Source: https://www.cdcfoundation.org/sites/default/files/upload/pdf/CDCFastFacts.pdf
- The CDC’s headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, on a campus that was formerly a Naval Air Station. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention
- The CDC employs about 15,000 people, including scientists, doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, public health experts, and support staff. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/index.html
- The CDC’s annual budget for fiscal year 2021 was $8.7 billion, which included $1.75 billion for COVID-19 response. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/index.html
- The CDC operates the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which collects and analyzes data on more than 100 diseases and conditions that are reported by state and local health departments. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/index.html
- The CDC also runs the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), which compiles data on births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/index.html
- The CDC publishes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which is the primary source of scientific information on public health issues and recommendations. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/index.html
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