Overview
The environment is everything around us - the air we breathe, the water
we drink and use, and the food we consume. It's also the chemicals, radiation,
microbes, and physical forces with which we come into contact. Our interactions with the
environment are complex and are not always healthy. We at the National Center for
Environmental Health, also known as NCEH, are working to prevent illness, disability, and
death from interactions between people and the environment. We are especially committed to
safeguarding the health of populations that are particularly vulnerable to certain
environmental hazards - children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
We seek to achieve our mission through science, service, and leadership.
We conduct research in the laboratory and in the field to investigate the effects of the
environment on health. We track and evaluate environment-related health problems through
surveillance systems. We also help domestic and international agencies and organizations
prepare for and respond to natural, technologic, humanitarian, and terrorism-related
environmental emergencies.
On the basis of research and surveillance results, we work with partners
to protect human health. Our interventions range from responding to emergencies, educating
and training various audiences, and developing new standards and guidelines, to helping
formulate public policy. We strive to protect health over the entire life-span. We work to
promote optimal fetal, infant, and child development, including preventing birth defects
and developmental disabilities, and enhance health and quality of life and prevent
secondary conditions among children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities.
The scope of our work is worldwide, from protecting health during
emergencies both in the United States and abroad to protecting the health of the public
visiting U.S. national parks and taking cruises on ships that dock in U.S. ports. Since
environmental problems cross geographic boundaries, and since lessons learned in helping
other countries can be used to understand and address U.S. public health problems, we have
established a global health office to coordinate and expand our global activities.
The nature of our work is also expanding. Because genetic knowledge,
tests, and services will play an increasingly larger role in public health practice, we
are working to make sure that knowledge of human genetics is translated into effective and
ethical public health actions.
No matter where and how we work, we are committed to safeguarding the
health of the U.S. public, both in the United States and abroad.
NCEH Mission
The National Center for Environmental Health plans, directs, and coordinates a national
program to maintain and improve the health of the American people by
promoting a healthy environment and by preventing premature death
and avoidable illness and disability caused by non-infectious,
non-occupational environmental and related factors.
NCEH Main Activities
National leadership in prevention programs,global health, and the use of human genetic knowledge, tests, and services
- Public health surveillance
- Applied research
- Epidemiologic studies
- Laboratory analyses
- Statistical analyses
- Behavioral interventions
- Operations and systems research
- Communication and education
- Standards, guidelines, and recommendations
- Training and technical assistance of officials of state and local
health agencies in preventing and responding to public health
challenges
NCEH Partners
- State and local health departments
- Federal, state, and local health and environmental agencies
- Philanthropic foundations
- Industry and labor groups
- Professional, voluntary, and community organizations
- Managed care organizations
- Foreign governments
- International health organizations
NCEH Programs and Activities
History of the National Center for Environmental Health
NCEH Program Information
