Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal agency primarily focused on protecting public health and safety. The CDC was founded in 1946 and is organized under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency's headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Various programs of the CDC are directed toward disease prevention, controlling the spread of disease, promotion of good health practices, and public education to improve health. More recently, preparedness for health threats and bioterrorism have become key activities of the CDC. Forensic scientists are involved in almost all departments of the DCD, from identifying the cause of death during a disease outbreak, to supplying data and testimony at legal proceedings about injury trends and environmental or other health hazards.

The annual budget for operations within the CDC is just under $8 billion, including approximately $5 billion for primary CDC activities, and an additional $3 billion for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), childhood vaccines, and terrorism programs. Two broad areas of spending are in health promotion and prevention of disease, and in preparedness for health threats and terrorism.

The CDC employs more than 8,500 people within the United States, approximately 65% of whom are located in the Atlanta area with less than 20% at the primary headquarters. More than 100 employees of the CDC are stationed overseas in 45 different countries at any given time.

There are seven different National Centers within the CDC including:

The National Crenter on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities provides national leadership for preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities and for improving the health and wellness of people with disabilities.
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion works toward prevention of premature death and disability from chronic diseases and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
The National Center for Environmental Health focuses in the prevention and control of disease and death resulting from environmental agents.
The National Center for Health Statistics is a key national resource that provides statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve health.
The National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention engages in prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus infection, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis.
The National Center for Infectious Diseases is primarily concerned with the prevention of illness, disability, and death caused by infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, and other organisms) in the United States and around the world.
The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control works to prevent death and disability from injuries that are not work-related, including both acts of violence and unintentional causes.

The CDC also operates a National Immunization Program (NIP), providing leadership for planning, organizing, and implementation of immunization activities across the country. Primary activities within the NIP include consultations, training, statistical support, promotion, education, health monitoring, and technical services to assist health departments with immunization related services.

The Epidemiology Program Office at the CDC operates to strengthen the public health system through health monitoring, and provides national and international support for such public health efforts through scientific communications, consultation in epidemiology and statistics, and by training experts in disease surveillance, epidemiology, applied public health, and prevention effectiveness.

The Public Health Practice Program Office at the CDC attends primarily to four elements of public health practice: the public health workforce, organizational effectiveness, the scientific capacity of public health laboratories, and the systems that manage public health information and knowledge.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is an institute within the CDC that serves as the primary government-sponsored agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses. Occupational injuries number in the millions each year in the United States, and thousands of deaths due to occupational injuries occur each year, with an annual cost of $40 billion. Additionally, work-related diseases result in nearly 50,000 deaths each year. NIOSH, and its sister organization in the Labor Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), were created by the U.S. Congress in 1970. While OSHA plays a more regulatory role in monitoring and enforcing safety standards, NIOSH provides research, training, education, and information directed toward the improvement of occupational safety and identification of potential hazards.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is an adjunct CDC agency focused on critical health assessment work related to toxic waste sites, and improving the health consequences of related exposures. ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.

The CDC has identified a number of challenges and future programs will be developed to meet these challenges. This includes enhancing the extent to which science is applied to improving health, prevention of violence and unintentional injury, health and safety needs of a changing workforce, utilization of new technologies to provide credible health information, protection against the threats of bioterrorism and newly emerging infectious diseases, elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities, fostering safe and healthy environments, and promoting good health globally.