The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website is a US government website that is a resource for public health information. The website provides updates on diseases, vaccines, and emergency guidelines.
Recently, the website has been down causing a disruption across the nation which visits this site to access essential information related to health data. The reason for the downtime of the site is being said that CDC has made major changes on its site to improve it.
The CDC website has been down for Hours on Saturday. The reason for the site being down could be anything but the major factor was that the agency was complying to the new executive order by President Trump. Complying to the executive order, many Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites and datasets have made changes. The CDC website has removed datasets related to HIV, LGBTQ people, youth health behaviors, and many more data sets.
The website now displays and recognizes only two sexes: male and female. It was done under the guidance issued by the US Office of Personnel Management that directed heads to remove all outward-facing media that promote gender ideology.
A senior health official said,” In the process, large swaths of data and science will be unavailable for an undetermined period”.
Why Did the CDC Website Go Down?
Initially, employees of the CDC struggled with how to implement the new policy that had a deadline on Friday afternoon. But it was figured out ultimately as the numerous HIV-related web pages began to go down temporarily and was later on restored as well after making necessary changes. Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started to remove all information and content related to gender identity. An email received by CDC employees from the acting director of the US office of personnel management said that they are not to make references or promote “gender ideology”.
The Center for Diseases Control and Prevention has a huge set of data, especially related to HIV, hence, the government agency staffer requested that the process is underway, and it would take time to bring down all the gender content in HIV. President Trump’s order to eliminate the DEI program across the federal government overturned the efforts of the CDC to combat HIV among Black, Latino, and transgender people. It threatens the CDC’s HIV prevention division as this division mandates addressing disparities based on race, sex, or gender identity to cure HIV. The sites, for instance, CDC’s National Center for HIV, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention with a page related to workplace diversity has also been taken down.
In a statement, Dr. Tina Tan, President of the IDSA, and Dr. Colleen Kelley, Chair of the HIVMA, said, “ The removal of HIV and LGBTQ-related resources from the websites of the Centers of Diseases Control and Prevention and other health agencies is deeply concerning and creates a dangerous gap in scientific information and data to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks”.
What is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a renowned national public health institute of the United States of America. It operates under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is a federal agency. CDC plays a pivotal role in protecting public health by controlling and preventing diseases. It also helps in promoting health safety and spreading awareness among the general public.
It was fully established on July 1, 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally, it was created to fight the widespread malaria in the United States however, over the years it expanded its scope including other infectious diseases and public health concerns. As the agency’s role and responsibility increased it was renamed as Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 1992.
Objective of the agency
CDC has many missions and campaigns that it undertakes but the primary mission of the CDC agency is to “ protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and domestic”. The aim is to :
- Detects and responds to new and emerging health threats in the US.
- Tackle the leading causes of deaths and disabilities in the nation.
- Develop and implement solutions that are science based to improve public health.
- Support communities and individuals in promoting and encouraging better health practices.
- Strengthen public health system at national and international levels.
- CDC has various key divisions under its operations to widen its scope and to reach each area of public health. The said divisions are as follow:
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
- Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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Key responsibilities of the CDC
CDC performs various functions related to disease prevention and health promotions in the United States of America and around the world. These key responsibilities are as follows:
Disease Surveillance and Monitoring
the CDC agency is responsible for tracking and analyzing infectious and chronic disease patterns to study the impact of the diseases. It also helps provide recommendations and insights from the extracted and collected data to the policymakers, healthcare providers and public.
Public Health Research
The agency is also responsible for conducting and analysing studies on disease prevention, treatment, and health risk factors. It also helps in funding and supporting research on the continuously emerging health threats. To carry out this funding, the CDC has partnered with academic institutions and organizations.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
CDC has a rapidly responding system to health crises such as pandemics, natural disasters, etc. CDC’s job is to develop strategies for effective disaster management including guidelines on using personal protective equipment (PPE), etc. it also helps conducting emergency drills to enhance the preparedness for any upcoming potential health threats.
Health Education and Awareness Campaign
The CDC website is a reliable source to provide accurate and accessible information related to public health. The agency targets campaigns such as smoking cessation, obesity prevention, mental health awareness, etc. it also helps in prescribing and developing educational materials for various educational institutes such as schools and universities, as well as for workplaces and healthcare providers to promote a better lifestyle. It offers training to the professionals associated with it to enhance public outreach initiatives.
Vaccination and Immunization Programs
The world has seen a huge pandemic breakout, and so has the US. CDC is the agency that is responsible for overseeing the nationwide vaccinations to prevent such outbreaks of infectious diseases that have the potential to cause deaths and lower the economic growth of the nation. The agency also ensures that the vaccines used in the public are safe and that those vaccines go through various rigorous testing, monitoring, and post-market surveillance. The agency also collaborates with the World Health Organization to support global immunization initiatives and efforts. Meanwhile, the agency also helps educate the public about vaccinations and their importance and addresses the common questions and concerns through outreach events.
Global Health Initiative
The CDC has a record for collaborating with international organizations to address global health issues. It also supports initiatives like the Global Health Security Agenda to help tackle and prevent international health threats. It also provides its technical expertise and funding to improve healthcare access and disease control.
CDC’s major contributions
Eradication of Smallpox: The CDC, with the collaborations with World Health Organization, played an important role in the eradication of smallpox, a deadly disease, in 1980.
Covid-19 Pandemic Response: During the times of COVID-19 breakout, CDC offered critical guidance on public health and safety measures, vaccine distributions, vaccine development and treatment alternatives.
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research: since the 1980s, CDC has been active in HIV/AIDS research and prevention efforts and to do that it has launched several awareness campaigns, funding initiatives, etc. CDC has closely monitored HIV cases in the United states through the National HIV Surveillance System. The system is responsible for collecting data on demographic trends and transmission rates to make effective strategies to prevent HIVs.
Polio Eradication efforts: the CDC alongside the Global Polio Eradication Initiatives (GPEI) has been a key partner in global polio eradication efforts to eliminate polio worldwide.
Importance of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Preventing Disease Breakouts
CDC is responsible for looking out for and early detection of infectious diseases and minimising its impact on public health.
Emergency response
CDC ensures quick response to the health emergency related to the public to effectively manage disease outbreaks.
Ensuring Workplace and Environmental Safety
By enhancing occupational safety and environmental health and making regulations and guidelines for the public to follow.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been a strong pillar for public health in the United States of America and globally. It has played a crucial role in safeguarding communities from health threats for decades. Hence, the downtime it went through last week impacted a lot of American Citizens and its global audience as they rely on CDC websites for true and verified information. The changes made in the website due to executive order has also affected a huge community as well as the CDC itself has seen major obstacles in their initiatives related to HIVs.
Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
