Washington, D.C., June 26, 2006
– The American Public Health Association (APHA) commends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its upcoming anniversary July 1 for 60 years of protecting the health and livelihood of people around the world.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stands as our nation’s leading prevention agency,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “The agency provides essential resources to protect and improve the health of Americans and people worldwide.”
Since its establishment in 1946, the CDC has aided in preventing and controlling infectious diseases, injuries and disabilities, conducted groundbreaking research and responded to numerous health emergencies. Today, the CDC has adapted to address emerging health challenges such as pandemic influenza, SARS, bioterrorism and environmental threats.
The CDC’s list of achievements includes the following:
- The CDC launched the Smallpox Eradication Program in 1966 to eliminate smallpox and control measles in 20 African countries. By the late 1970s, the CDC’s efforts resulted in the global eradication of smallpox, a disease that killed millions of people over centuries.
- In the early 1980s, the CDC reported the first cases of the illness that would later be called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and organized a task force of staffers from each of its centers to respond to evidence of an epidemic. AIDS research and prevention strategies continue today.
- In 1988, the CDC established the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to target chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
- In the late 1990s, the CDC assisted in the investigation of a new strain of flu, now known as influenza A (H5N1), in Hong Kong. Identification and research of cases continues today.
“The CDC has consistently addressed the changing health risks that affect the well-being of millions of people both in the United States and the world,” Benjamin said. “The agency provides proven public health programs that deftly respond to health emergencies and secure the safety of men, women and children where they live, work, learn and play.”