Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (original) (raw)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. CDC focuses national attention on developing and applying disease prevention and control (especially infectious diseases), environmental health, health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. The centers, institutes and offices are:

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the CDC is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. It used to be the Communicable Disease Center until 1946, then the Center for Disease Control until 1970.