Newsroom Story Ideas

September Story Ideas: Health, Going Global

There are more than 6 billion people in the world, living in Greenland’s icy climate to the harsh heat of the Sahara, staying in one city their entire lives or moving every few years.  CDC’s public health work extends far beyond U.S. borders when our Epidemic Intelligence Service officers are called in to help with investigations, when our field staff help train local public health officials in epidemiology and laboratory science, when members of our Special Pathogens Branch respond to outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever in Africa or when our public health experts lead vaccination campaigns to fight polio and malaria.  Below are some of the ways CDC is going global.

All Around the World

In today's world of increasing globalization, the United States continually faces new challenges and opportunities in public health. In partnership with other parts of the U.S. government, public health officials throughout the world, and host countries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works to protect and promote global health in many areas, including HIV/STD/TB prevention and control, malaria and polio eradication, refugee health, maternal and prenatal care, nutrition assessment and interventions and more.

• CDC’s Global Presence
• CDC’s Global Disease Detection Program
• Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Health
• Q&A on CDC Recommendations for International Adoptees with TB

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Promoting Reproductive Health among Displaced Women

Eighty percent of the world’s 34 million displaced people are women and children who have been displaced due to conflict. The Reproductive Health Assessment Toolkit for Conflict-Affected Women was developed by CDC with these women and children in mind.  Using the Toolkit, workers collect information about: safe motherhood practices, family planning, sexual history, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS education, gender-based violence, female genital cutting, emotional health and well being.  Information collected helps health service providers best determine how to improve the reproductive health of refugee women and their families.  An essential feature of the Toolkit is its ease of use; it was designed to be used by staff with limited survey expertise through step-by-step instructions on implementing information gathering and assessment. 

• Global Reproductive Health: Homepage
• CDC Features – article on the Toolkit
• Reproductive Health in Crises: Homepage
• Reproductive Health in Crisis - Publications

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Good Nutrition is Micronutrient Nutrition

Deficiencies in micronutrients affect nearly one-third of the world's population, and the consequences can be devastating.  The International Micronutrient Malnutrition Prevention and Control (IMMPaCt) Program works with global partners to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies (micronutrient malnutrition) among vulnerable populations throughout the world.  Established by the CDC in 2000, IMMPaCt focuses primarily on helping eliminate deficiencies in iron, vitamin A, iodine, and folic acid.  By helping countries develop and operate appropriate assessment, monitoring and evaluation, systems, IMMPaCt and its global partners work to enable national governments, food industries and civic organizations to successfully implement interventions such as mass food fortification, supplementation and home fortification in order to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies. 

• IMMPaCt Projects & Initiatives
• IMMPaCt Tools
• Monitoring Frameworks

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Safe Water is More than Just Clean Water

The CDC Safe Water System (SWS) is a three-pronged approached to alleviate the negative impact of unsafe drinking water.  These approaches include: Treating water at the point of contact, safe water storage, and behavior change techniques at both the individual and community levels.  The SWS has been distributed at national or sub-national levels in 19 countries through social marketing campaigns in partnership with the social marketing Non-Governmental Organizations, Population Services International.  The SWS has saved numerous lives after Cholera outbreaks and natural disasters.  The SWS is now integrated as part of the Global AIDS Program for routine use to improve quality of life.

• Safe Water System
• Safe Water System (SWS) Publications
• Safe Water Resources

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