Mission Statement
The Health Studies Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC's) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) is responsible for investigating human health effects associated with exposure to environmental hazards and to natural and technological disasters. The Program’s primary mission is to develop and evaluate strategies for preventing human exposure to environmental hazards and disasters and for minimizing the effects of such exposures when they do occur. To accomplish this mission, the Program's investigators conduct epidemiologic rapid response and research activities in cooperation with federal, state, local, and international health agencies.
Program Goals
The goal of the Health Studies Program is to provide environmental health leadership, science, and service for all major categories of environmental hazards. Some of these hazards include the following:
- Cancer Clusters
- Chemicals
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
- Disaster Epidemiology and Assessment
- Extreme Weather Conditions
- Harmful Algal Blooms
- Noise
- Pesticides
- U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Issues
- Water-Related Environmental Public Health
The depth and breadth of the Program’s work are a tribute not only to the energy and dedication of its scientific and administrative staff, but also to the support that it receives from the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects and from NCEH.