Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the U.S. Government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS works closely with state and local governments, and many HHS-funded services are provided at the local level by state or county agencies, or through private sector grantees. The department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities, including many addressing HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, and research. In addition to the services they deliver, the HHS programs provide for equitable treatment of beneficiaries nationwide, and they enable the collection of national health and other data.
HHS is a lead Federal agency in the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). It has the broadest scope of HIV/AIDS-related activities among all Federal agencies, spanning HIV/AIDS education, prevention, testing, care and treatment, and research. Read it NHAS Operational Plan.
Within HHS, responsibility for HIV/AIDS activities is spread across its 11 Operating Divisions and multiple Staff Divisions:
HHS Operating Divisions
The 11 HHS Operating Divisions perform a wide variety of tasks and services, including research, public health, food and drug safety, grants and other funding, health insurance, and many others. They are:
- Administration for Children and Families
- Administration for Community Living
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Indian Health Service
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- National Institute of Nursing Research
- National Library of Medicine
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
HHS Staff Divisions
The Staff Divisions of the Office of the Secretary provide direct support for the Secretary’s initiatives. Many of them are engaged in activities related to HIV/AIDS, including:
Content provided by HHS.
Featured Resources
- Read related AIDS.gov blog posts.
- FY 2013 President's Budget for HHS
- Secretary’s Strategic Initiatives - The Secretary’s strategic priorities form the vision for how HHS can contribute to an even stronger, healthier, and more prosperous America in the years to come. Among the 13 priorities is “Support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.”
- Commemorating 30 Years of Leadership in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS - View remarks by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at the HHS event commemorating the 30 years of HHS leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS (June 2011).
Last revised: 06/01/2012