CDC welcomes the implementation of the U.S. Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity.  At the heart of the Action Plan is the dedication to reducing violence against children, along with its vast, common, destructive and preventable consequences, including HIV, chronic diseases, and mental health problems. CDC is committed to working alongside other USG agencies and an array of global partners to help assure that children not only survive, but also thrive, growing up in strong families, with safe, stable and nurturing relationships.  CDC’s work with Together for Girls, funded through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, is just one example of such partnerships.

CDC’s uniquely valuable contribution to the Action Plan consists in linking nationally representative survey data on the magnitude and impact of violence against children to effective, sustainable, and scalable programs that reduce violence and its consequences.  The need for these Violence Against Children Surveys, which have been conducted in Swaziland, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Haiti, is strong and growing.  The data from these surveys increase countries’ abilities to create and evaluate violence prevention efforts and to help victims and their families.

CDC will continue to support the objectives of the Action plan through partnerships that help nations around the world invest effectively in the futures of their children.

Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention