How the CDC Contributes to Public Health
Community Resources
Non-profit organizations play a crucial role in shaping the health of a population by contributing to public health and safety improvements and improving the quality of life within the community. This paper features how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements and its ability to promote equal opportunity. The impact of funding sources and policy on the health and safety of a local community is featured.
How the organization’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements.
CDC’s mission involves protecting Americans from health, safety, and security threats, both domestic and foreign. The organization prioritizes health protection, as indicated through its vision, where all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives. This mission and vision enable the CDC to contribute significantly to public health and safety improvements (CDC, 2023). For instance, disease control and prevention is a global initiative whereby the CDC collaborates with international partners to combat infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. The CDC assists in developing public health infrastructures, implementing disease surveillance systems, and conducting research to identify and control outbreaks. It attains this by providing expertise, resources, and guidance (Calo et al., 2020). Through initiatives such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the CDC focuses on reducing disease burden and improving health outcomes globally.
Another example is through community health promotion, whereby the CDC collaborates with communities at a local level to address health disparities and promote healthy behaviors. Programs such as Community Transformation Grants facilitate the CDC’s support of community-based efforts to improve access to nutritious foods and reduce tobacco use (Sundararaman, Muraleedharan & Ranjan, 2021). The initiatives’ goals centers around creating environments that support healthy choices, while preventing chronic diseases. This ultimately enhances public health and safety at the community level.
Organization’s ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life
The CDC places high importance on promoting equal opportunities and improving quality of life across the US population. In collaboration with Prevention’s Healthy Communities Program, the CDC stresses reducing the socioeconomic and racial health gaps. The organization achieves this by reaching the vulnerable individuals through implementing worldwide programs, providing leadership, and developing research tools (Sundararaman et al., 2021). The promotion of diversity and inclusion better represents the people served by CDC, hence improving its efficiency. Diversity to consider gender, color, and ethnicity encourages opportunity for all individuals, enhancing public health promotion in areas highly concentrated with minority populations.
Economic, cultural, social, and physical barriers often hamper individuals’ ability to access healthcare. People with varying socioeconomic statuses face varying degrees of difficulty obtaining medical treatment. CDC’s aims to reduce these barriers through programs such as the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) initiative (Calo et al., 2020). Addressing underlying social determinants, including lack of access to resources and discrimination, plays a role in promoting equal opportunity. Cultural barriers also influence individuals’ access to healthcare services and willingness to engage in preventive health behaviors. In response, CDC promotes culturally competent care and tailored interventions to meet the unique needs of diverse communities (CDC, 2023). It achieves such by collaborating with community organizations and engaging community leaders.
Economic barriers also limit individuals’ ability to afford healthy food options, access healthcare services, and engage in health-promoting activities. Programs and policies to increase access to affordable healthcare and reduce income inequality are advocated for, by the CDC, while promoting economic development in underserved communities. Geographic isolation, poor transportation services, and inadequate infrastructure can limit access to healthcare services (Sundararaman et al., 2021). The CDC addresses these constraints by implementing telehealth initiatives, supporting development of healthcare infrastructure in underserved areas, and promoting policies that improve transportation. In this case, it aims to promote equitable access to healthcare as individuals lead healthy lives regardless of their circumstances or location.
The impact of funding sources, policy, and legislation on the organization’s work
services. For instance, CDC’s funding is majored on federal appropriations and hence, changes in funding levels affects its operations. For instance, budget cuts reduces its capacity for outbreak response, disease surveillance, and public health education initiatives. The budget reduction negatively impacts individuals’ access to public health services, including screenings and immunizations. CDC also relies on grants and contracts received from federal agencies, international partners, and philanthropic organizations (Tamers et al., 2020). Changes in these grant sizes and availability affect the duration and scope of CDC projects. Besides, relying on specific grants limits its flexibility to address emerging public health threats. Consequently, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by reductions in CDC funding and changes in public health policy.
Additionally, public health policy decisions at the federal, state, and local levels shape CDC’s strategies and priorities. For instance, policies restricting funding for dignified programs hinder its ability to address critical health issues. However, legislation mandating health insurance coverage for preventive services enhances access to CDC-recommended vaccinations and screenings. It is apparent that families rely on CDC-funded program to protect their health (Tamers et al., 2020). In this regard, reductions in funding for maternal and child health programs could impact access to prenatal care, childhood vaccinations, and support services for at-risk families.
Further, the CDC’s response to disasters and outbreaks is affected by the implementation of legislation related to emergency preparedness and response. Clearly, regulatory frameworks and adequate funding enhance coordination between various agencies during public health emergencies. Public health initiatives funded by the CDC benefit entire communities by promoting healthy behaviors, reducing disease burden, and enhancing environmental safety. For instance, CDC-funded initiatives to combat infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and influenza, significantly impact community health. Correspondingly, investing in chronic disease prevention and health promotion reduces healthcare costs and improves population health outcomes.
Impacts of the organization’s work on the health and/or safety needs of a local community
The CDC impacts the health needs of communities through various means. For instance, it prepares communities for public health emergencies, including natural disasters, pandemics, and bioterrorism incidents. Besides, it coordinates with local health departments and emergency responders to help communities become resilient and respond effectively to crises. It also ensures timely access to medical supplies, vaccines, and public health guidance, which enhances community safety during emergencies. Nurses may contribute to disease surveillance efforts by promptly identifying and reporting suspected cases of reportable diseases to local health authorities (Garcia et al., 2020). Such information helps in monitoring disease trends and responding to outbreaks effectively by the CDC. Nurses may also utilize their expertise by participating in CDC-funded health promotion initiatives to deliver evidence-based health education programs in healthcare and other settings. They can promote preventive measures, such as vaccinations and healthy behaviors, to empower individuals and communities to control their health. Such involves volunteering at vaccination clinics, providing medical care to disaster survivors, or assisting with disease containment efforts in outbreak settings (Garcia et al., 2020). Nurses can also research, evaluate interventions, and disseminate best practices to inform public health policy and practice at different levels.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) poses as a crucial resource for promoting public health and safety improvements across the US communities. This paper shows how CDC plays this role through its mission and vision, encompassing its ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life in the community. Changes in funding sources and policy provisions impact this ability.
References
Garcia, M., Lipskiy, N., Tyson, J., Watkins, R., Esser, E. S., & Kinley, T. (2020). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) information management: addressing national health-care and public health needs for standardized data definitions and codified vocabulary for data exchange. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(9), 1476-1487.
Calo, W. A., Murray, A., Francis, E., Bermudez, M., & Kraschnewski, J. (2020). Peer reviewed: Reaching the Hispanic community about COVID-19 through existing chronic disease prevention programs. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7316420/
CDC, (2023). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Organization. https://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/cio.htm
Sundararaman, T., Muraleedharan, V. R., & Ranjan, A. (2021). Pandemic resilience and health systems preparedness: lessons from COVID-19 for the twenty-first century. Journal of Social and Economic Development, 23(Suppl 2), 290-300. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40847-020-00133-x
Tamers, S. L., Streit, J., Pana‐Cryan, R., Ray, T., Syron, L., Flynn, M. A., … & Howard, J. (2020). Envisioning the future of work to safeguard the safety, health, and well‐being of the workforce: A perspective from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. American journal of industrial medicine, 63(12), 1065-1084. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.23183
Whitman, A., De Lew, N., Chappel, A., Aysola, V., Zuckerman, R., & Sommers, B. D. (2022). Addressing social determinants of health: Examples of successful evidence-based strategies and current federal efforts. Off Heal Policy, 1, 1-30. https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/e2b650cd64cf84aae8ff0fae7474af82/SDOH-Evidence-Review.pdf