Center for Disease Control - Report Example

CDC al Affiliation Center for Disease Control Different countries of the world have engaged in ensuring that they maintain ahealthy population. This is in line with the millennium development goals. One of the countries that have shown this trend is the United States. This has been possible through Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Through the agency, there has been the foundation of awareness, tools, and networks all over the country. This takes place through health promotion, prevention of diseases, injury, disability, and preparedness for health threats. This coordination is possible as the agency works together with states, communities, and other partners throughout the nation and world. They monitor health, detect and investigate health problems, conduct research, and implement prevention strategies (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). Moreover, they promote health behaviors, foster safe and health environments and provide advice and training to the health care stakeholders. Through these initiatives, it is possible to accelerate health impact, reduce health disparities and protect people at home and abroad from imminent health threats (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). Through the achievement of above goals, the CDC visions are achieved. The vision is to ensure that there are healthy people in every stage of life, healthy people in healthy places, preparing people on emerging health threats, and ensuring that there are health people in a healthy world (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). There, there is strict observance of its duties to ensure the public health campaign goals are met. This paper seeks to delve on Center for Disease Control. The agency carries out and promotes health promotion. The agency also engages in prevention and preparedness activities with a singular purpose of improving overall public health. The organization was established in 1946 with the location at Atlanta. Initially, the agency was referred to as Communicable Disease Center. However, the name was changed to Center for Disease Control on June 24, 1970. In addition, the agency was only responsible for malaria prevention and control before other programs were enjoined. These programs included sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis control, and immunization. The CDC is under the management of the department of health and human resource. It works in collaboration with local, state and national actors to prevent and monitor disease outbreaks (Georgia Humanities Council, 2012). They also cater for bioterrorism threat together with implementing disease prevention strategies and maintaining general health statistics. The other roles include public health strategies in preventing and reduce infectious disease, chronic and other form of injuries that may occur together with threats emanating from the environment (Georgia Humanities Council, 2012). Five key areas are of importance to CDC functionality. They include increasing funding to local and state health departments, improving overall health, decreasing leading cause of death. Moreover, they include strengthening surveillance and epidemiology and reforming the health sector. On the other hand, the CDC has invested heavily on the information technology. This is after realization of the role technology plays in implementation of health program. The initiatives include developing standards for sharing public health information, and biosensor, a bioinformatics surveillance system (Georgia Humanities Council, 2012). The other area of concern by CDC is quarantine activities, epidemiological research. Moreover, it provides consultation services on the world stage on control of infectious diseases. There are eleven centers, institutes, and offices of the agency. These are centers for terminal disease management and health promotion. The agency has managed to record several cases they have had attention. In year 2006, 55 cases of measles were documented in the United States. In this scenario, 31 were classified as imported while 24 were classified as indigenous (Center for Disease Control, 2012). However, in 2007 the cases of measles declined to 45 (CDC, 2012). Nevertheless, the goal is to obtain a zero case of measles, but this is hampered by lack of 100 percent efficiency. The other hindrance is because in United States infants less than 12 months are not enlisted for immunization programs (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). Secondly, the agency has also managed to reduce the effects of Haemophilus influenza type B. In fact, this is no longer the case in the infants less than five years of age in United States (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). In addition, in 2007 the mumps cases in the United States were 800 (Salaam-Blyther, 2011). The high rate was due to an outbreak that began in 2005. The rate of pertussis has also been on the decline in the population. This happened after implementation of immunization programs of adolescent and adult version. In fact, the vaccination treatment for adolescents aged 13 to 15 years rose significantly from 57 percent in 2006 to 69 percent (CDC, 2012). Recently the achievement had reached nine million people. On the other hand, information on HV infection is yet to be documented. This is because different states use a different method of collecting data on HIV infection. However, it was approximated by 2003 there were 32,000 cases of HIV/ AIDS (CDC, 2012). The other demographic is on malaria. The rate of malaria increase from 1957 to 1973 rose from 50 to 200 in a year on civilians (Gibson, Brodsky and Schultz, 1974). This was due to foreign transport and improved reporting of malaria incidences. There was also increased rate of malaria among the military. This was due to engagement of American troops in Asian countries in the 60s and 1970s (Gibson et al., 1974). The graph shows pertussis trend in United States. Source: CDC There are different types of services offered by the Center for Disease Control. The first vital services include clinical aspects of infection, which include screening for various forms of disease majority that include tuberculosis and bacterial diseases (Department of Health, 2012). Secondly, it provides territory immunization program and provide advice and training to health workers and public on immunization. They also carry out surveillance for diseases and initiate public health responses. They also control the outbreaks of various diseases. Moreover, the Rheumatic heart disease program provides funding for the diagnosis and long-term management of those suffering fro the condition (Department of Health, 2012). On the other hand, the safety and injury unit researches and develop policy on injury prevention. The medical entomology department undertakes mosquito surveillance and environmental management of the vectors carrying the disease such as insects. In addition, the agency helps in emergency preparedness and response. There is also a function of identifying significant disease outbreaks. The agency also plays a significant role in curbing bioterrorism activities in the nation homeland security (Department of Health, 2012). Lastly, the demographics provided are also beneficial in knowing the part of the population that is vulnerable to any particular disease. There are various reasons as to why this agency was chosen. The most significant point is the understanding the historical transformation of different types of diseases such as HIV/ AIDS. Secondly, one knows serious diseases that have been exterminated or controlled in history such as small pox. This agency also provides how various vaccines were developed. In conclusion, it is clear roles, and functions of CDC are most prominent in the national health sector. The most critical aspects are on the disease management such as influenza, transferable and non-communicable diseases. The agency also has played a significant role in protecting the public health; enlighten the people on their health, and adoption of various immunization programs. All these factors have helped to eliminate, control, and curb the rate of disease occurrence in the majority of the population. The health policies advocated by this agency are of importance to America as a nation. The agency will still play a role in curbing bioterrorist activities that are likely to become rampant in the 21st century with the improvement in technology. References Center for Disease Control. (2012). Vaccines and Immunizations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/pert.html Department of Health. (2012). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved from http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Centre_for_Disease_Control/index.aspx. Georgia Humanities Council. (2012). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1209. Gibson, J., Brodsky, R. and Schultz, M. (1974). “Changing Patterns of Malaria in United States.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 130 (5), 553-555. Salaam-Blyther, T. (2011). Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from www.crs.gov Read More