CDC At-A-Glance
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CDC Leads National Health Security
CDC keeps America secure by controlling disease outbreaks; making sure food and water are safe; helping people to avoid leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes; and working globally to reduce threats to the nation’s health.
When a national health security threat appears, we may not know right away why or how many people are affected, but we have world-class expertise to find out what is making people sick or die and what to do about it.
CDC’s Mission
CDC’s world-class expertise protects the health of Americans.
CDC is the nation’s leading public health agency, dedicated to saving lives and protecting the health of Americans.
2017 Fast Facts
- Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia
- Facilities in 10 additional locations in the U.S.
- More than 12,000 employees in nearly 150 occupations
- Field staff work in all 50 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and more than 120 countries
- CDC’s budget in 2017: $7.2 billion
What CDC Does
- CDC is ready 24/7 to respond to any natural or manmade event.
- By connecting state and local health departments across the U.S., CDC can discover patterns of disease and respond when needed.
- CDC can deliver lifesaving medicines from the Strategic National Stockpile to anywhere in the U.S. in 12 hours or less.
- Good decision-making on health depends on the right information. CDC monitors health, informs decisionmakers, and provides people with information so they can take responsibility for their own health.
- Local and state labs must be able to safely detect and respond to health threats in order to prevent premature death, injury, and disease. CDC trains and guides state and local public health lab partners.
CDC Saving Lives
CDC helps save lives by responding to emergencies, providing expertise, developing vaccines, and detecting disease outbreaks wherever they arise. Staff work to strengthen local and state public health departments and promote health programs that are proven to work.
CDC Protecting People
CDCs scientists collect and analyze data to determine how threats to health affect specific populations. This work protects people from hundreds of public health threats every year.
During 2015 and 2016, CDC conducted more than 750 field investigations in 49 states, 5 U.S. territories, and in at least 35 different countries. Investigations help determine what made people sick and if others have been exposed.
- Page last reviewed: February 19, 2016
- Page last updated: July 7, 2017
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