ATLANTA, GA – August 24, 2022 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the United States agency tasked with the protection of the country’s public health and safety. It is a critical component of our nation’s control and prevention of disease, injury and disability. The CDC also conducts and promotes research and provides information to the public about disease. It is a federal agency that is under the Department of Health and Human Services, a cabinet-level executive department. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The director of the CDC is appointed by the President. Following his inauguration on January 20, 2021, President Biden appointed Doctor Rochelle Walensky to be director.
The CDC was founded in 1946. It was a branch of the U.S. Public Health Service. Its initial function was to control and prevent malaria in the United States. For this reason, Atlanta was chosen as its primary location because malaria was endemic in the southern region of the U.S. The CDC’s mission expanded to include sexually transmitted diseases (in 1957), tuberculosis (in 1960) and the immunization program (in 1963). After the Public Health Service reorganization in 1973, the CDC became its primary agency.
After many name changes beginning with the Communicable Disease Center (in 1946), it took the name Centers for Disease Control in 1980. In 1992, Congress further modified the name to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but kept the initials CDC due to its broad name recognition.
The CDC areas of focus include: communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, antibiotic resistance, global health, vaccine safety, chronic disease, disabilities, injury control, workplace hazards, environmental health threats, terrorism preparedness, emerging diseases and birth defects.
In addition to having their own programs and research, the CDC offers grants to help organizations advance health, safety and awareness. Over 85% of its annual budget is awarded through these grants.
The CDC employs about 15,000 people (according to 2021 data). Almost 40% have advanced college degrees.
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Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org