Winnable Battles

CDC’s Winnable Battles are public health priorities with large-scale impact on health and known, effective strategies to address them. The Public Health Law Program has produced the following legal and policy resources that should help public health practitioners, policy makers, and legal counsel as they explore and shape laws and policies to address these critical public health issues.

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Overview of laws encouraging the prevention and reduction of HAIs

• More about HAIs

HIV [PDF – 358KB]
Overview of laws that could affect whether minors can consent to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention measures

• More about HIV

Motor Vehicle Injuries—Graduated Driver Licensing
Graduated driver licensing programs have consistently proven to be effective at reducing the crash risk for beginning drivers

• More about motor vehicle injuries

Nutrition
These selected legal and policy resources should help public health practitioners, policy makers, and legal counsel as they explore and shape law and policy around nutrition, physical activity, and obesity

• Artificial Trans Fat
  Several jurisdictions reduced or eliminated trans fats from use in restaurants and schools to reduce risks for heart disease
• Breastfeeding
  Breastfeeding can help reduce childhood obesity and protect babies from certain health problems
• Menu Labeling
  Providing nutritional information about standard menu items at the point of purchase can influence consumers to choose menu items with fewer calories
• Nutrition Advertising to Children
  Regulating food marketing to children is a strategy to address childhood obesity
• School Activity
  Providing physical activity to children in school can help them establish and sustain active lifestyles
• School Nutrition
  Policy and legislation can be used to promote good school nutrition and reduce childhood obesity
• Sodium Reduction
  Reducing sodium content in foods can improve health
• Zoning and Obesity
  Reducing the density of fast food restaurants, restricting fast food restaurants near schools, incentivizing farming in urban areas, and incentivizing development of large grocery stores in urban areas can promote healthier eating
• Zoning and Physical Activity
  Promoting parks and recreation, requiring sidewalks, promoting use of public transportation, and other strategies can encourage active living
• More about nutrition, physical activity, and obesity

Food Safety
CDC’s Food Safety Office and CDC’s Public Health Law Program developed this guidance for foodborne illness outbreaks, both within agencies’ jurisdictions and across multiple states and other jurisdictional boundaries

• More about food safety

For additional information on Winnable Battles, please visit the main CDC Winnable Battles website.