Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducts research into the origin and occurrence of diseases and develops methods for their control and prevention. It also develops immunization services, together with state and local agencies; provides public health information services, and aids in the training of health workers. It has nine major operating divisions, including the Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control and the Epidemiology Program Office. The CDC conducts international programs as well. The agency had its origin in the U.S. antimalaria program of World War II (1939-1945) and was established as the Communicable Disease Center in 1946. It became the Centers for Disease Control in 1970; "and prevention" was added in 1992, though Congress requested that CDC remain the Agency's initials. Among the CDC's accomplishments are identifying the causes of toxic shock syndrome and of Legionnaires" disease. The CDC also has a parent company called the Public Health Service. This is the agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, established in July 1798 under the terms of congressional legislation authorizing marine hospitals for seamen in the merchant marine. Subsequent legislation vastly increased the scope of the agency's activities. Today it is the principal health agency of the federal government. The Public Health Service is charged with promoting the highest level of health attainable for every American and cooperating with foreign governments in health projects. It provides financial assistance for the development and delivery of local health services, for education in the health professions, and for research in medical sciences. Among it's .
other functions are protecting the population against unsafe food and drugs and preventing or controlling communicable diseases. .
CDC aids in the control and prevention of epidemics.
