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
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
- 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 Cancer Institute
- National Eye Institute
- National Institute on Aging
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- 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:
Featured Resources
- Read related AIDS.gov blog posts.
- HHS Budget and Performance
- HHS Strategic Plan - The strategic plan defines HHS’ mission, goals, and the means by which it will measure its progress in addressing specific national problems. It includes how the agency will implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Additional Resources
Content provided by HHS.
Last revised: 06/05/2015