Emergency Preparedness and Response:
What CDC Is Doing
Preparing people for emerging health threats is one of CDC's overarching goals. CDC contributes to national, state, and local efforts to prepare for and prevent public health disasters before they occur. When a disaster has occurred, CDC is prepared to respond and support national, state, and local partners in responding in order to improve public health outcomes. After response to a disaster has ended, CDC assists national, state, and local partners in the recovery and restoration of public health functions.
Overview
A New Era of Preparedness NEW! Mar 27, 2008
A video presentation of what CDC is doing to ensure you and your family are safer and healthier in these ever-changing times. Preparing people for emerging health threats is one of CDC's overarching goals.
CDC Organizations and Programs
Organizations and programs across CDC are working to improve emergency preparedness and response. These include the following:
- Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness & Emergency Response (COTPER)
NEW WEBSITE! Apr 10, 2008
Helps the nation prepare for and respond to urgent public health threats by providing strategic direction, coordination, and support for all of CDC’s terrorism preparedness and emergency response activities.
- National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) & Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Conducts ongoing projects to improve surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, and emergency response.
- National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)
Strengthens health communication networks across federal, state, and local levels with programs such as Epi-X and the Emergency Communication System (ECS), which manages the CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response website.
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
Conducts vaccine research to protect people from anthrax and other diseases.
- National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
Links to the injury care community to decrease morbidity and mortality from injuries caused by mass casualty events such as explosions.
- National Center for Public Health Informatics (NCPHI)
Identifies public health informatics solutions for outbreak investigation, event detection and monitoring (including the BioSense program), and response.
- National Center for the Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID)
Manages the Laboratory Response Network, tests the continuing effectiveness of existing drugs against bioterrorism agents, and prepares U.S. ports of entry to reduce the introduction of infection diseases into the United States.
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED)
Works to improve surveillance, methods, and laboratory capacities for a number of bioterrorism agents and seeks to quicken the detection and response to bioterrorism agents water and food.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Provides technical expertise, facilitates on-site support during emergencies, and advances research and collaboration to enhance preparedness and response efforts.
- Public Health Law Program
Develops the legal preparedness of CDC programs, front-line public health practitioners, policy makers, and partners.