Natural and technologic disasters often occur without warning; efforts to prevent them from turning into major public health emergencies call for careful planning. Major concerns of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are to enable an adequate level of preparedness, mitigate against future occurrences, respond appropriately, and address the effects of disasters on people and the environment.
The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) has a number of programs and activities to ensure that the health needs of people in disaster-stricken areas are assessed and that people receive appropriate assistance during disasters.
The Health Studies Program of NCEH has the major responsibility for disaster epidemiology at CDC. The mission of the disaster epidemiology program is to promote health and quality of life by service, applied research, and dissemination of information in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a disaster event.
The goals of the disaster epidemiology program are:
- To provide service to communities and organizations for
preparedness, response, and recovery.
- Conduct surveillance of deaths, injuries, and illnesses related to a disaster event.
- Assess needs of disaster-affected communities.
- Evaluate emergency preparedness programs, response activities, and
recovery operations.
- To conduct applied research.
- Identify preventable risk factors contributing to disaster-associated morbidity and mortality.
- Conduct prevention effectiveness studies.
- Refine surveillance and other methodologies.
- To disseminate the knowledge base of disaster epidemiology.
- Community at large
- State/local/foreign health departments
- Other Federal agencies
- Professional interest groups
- Academic institutions
- International organizations
