Online Environmental Public Health Tracking Course Launched

Understanding the role the environment plays in human development and health is essential to disease prevention. CDC is responding to the call for a better understanding of how the environment can affect people's health.

What is Environmental Public Health Tracking?

Environmental Public Health Tracking, ("tracking") is the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data on human exposure to environmental hazards and health effects that may be related to those exposures. Environmental hazards range from air pollution to lead exposure.

CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program is leading the initiative to build a nationwide network that obtains integrated health and environmental data. This resource is called the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (referred to as the "Tracking Network"). Using information from the Tracking Network, federal, state and local agencies will be better prepared to develop and evaluate effective public health actions to prevent or control chronic and acute disease that may be linked to environmental hazards.

The Tracking Network will draw from a wide range of stakeholders with expertise from federal, state, and local health and environmental agencies; nongovernmental organizations; state public health and environmental laboratories; and schools of public health.

Tracking 101 Training

To support the users of this new tracking network, the CDC developed a course titled Environmental Public Health Tracking 101 and implemented it in August 2007. This modular course covers the basic principles of environmental public health tracking and provides an overview of the environmental public health tracking process for public health professionals. The CDC developed this course for online study, but individuals can use the course materials for live presentations if necessary. Moreover, public health professionals can receive continuing education credits (CE) for completing the course and its corresponding quiz.

How Can I Receive Tracking 101 Training?

The Environmental Public Health Tracking 101 course is hosted on the National Environmental Health Association's Web site. The course is free to view, but participants must register. A fee is associated with continuing education credits (CE's). To register to view the course for free or to pay for CE’s, go to NEHA e-Learning CDC-Sponsored Programs*, located on the NEHA-CERT Environmental Health Education Series online programs Web site. After registering, you will receive an email from NEHA containing your username and password and a link to the course.