Strategic Plan

CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) is implementing a refocused strategic plan that incorporates innovative ways to achieve our vision—optimal reproductive health for a healthy future.

Our approach takes into account the changing dynamics of our culture and incorporates innovative strategies that will place emphasis on three priority areas:

• Women’s reproductive health.
• Pregnancy health.
• Infant health.

DRH’s activities and programs provide support to organizations, institutions, providers, and consumers, across the United States and around the world. The changes ahead will allow us to engage our partners in new ways to translate science into practice. This will improve clinical and behavioral norms that are expected to produce greater impact in our communities, especially those with disparities.

For more than 40 years, CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health has worked to develop science that can be applied to meet the needs of society. This strategic plan identifies essential issues, opportunities, and driving forces directly relevant to the health of families and will allow us to continue our efforts that will provide healthier communities.

The Core Functions are central capacities of the division. While the content may change, the capacity itself endures over time.

• Surveillance: Monitor the burden of disease, risk factors, preventive services, and other associated factors.
• Research: Support health research that contributes to effective, evidence-based and informed public health practices, programs, and policies.
• Science to Practice: Develop and implement strategies that ensure scientific research is applied through effective public health programs, practices, and policies.
• Strategic Partnerships: Develop and leverage partnerships to move science to practice.
• Capacity Building, Preparedness, and Response: Assist agencies and organizations to develop their capacity to implement surveillance, research, best practices, and respond during disasters and outbreaks.
• Technical and Operational Support: Develop efficient internal processes, operations, communications, and systems to better serve the public.

Within each of the three main priority areas, the outcome goals further define how we will measure the outcomes and impacts from our work.

Women’s Reproductive Health: Improve women’s health from menarche through menopause.

1. Increase the percentage of pregnancies that are intended.
2. Increase the proportion of women who practice key preventive health behaviors.
3. Integrate selected reproductive and nonreproductive health services.

Pregnancy Health: Improve pregnancy health and care.

1. Increase screening, prevention, and treatment for infections and chronic conditions before, during, and after pregnancy.
2. Increase the proportion of women who practice behaviors that foster healthy pregnancies.
3. Increase the number of countries and U.S. states with effective surveillance systems used to monitor and review maternal deaths.

Infant Health: Improve fetal, newborn, and infant health.

1. Reduce morbidity and mortality by reducing the burden of preterm birth.
2. Reduce SUID (Sudden Unexplained Infant Death) through improved surveillance, and reduction of disparities.
3. Improve the health of the fetus and newborn through optimal care before, during, and after pregnancy.

 

The strategic focus areas are specific targets used to measure the impact of the DRH’s efforts throughout the next 3 to 5 years. They are not inclusive of all work, but will have the highest regard for accountability and achievement of successes.

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of Women of Reproductive Age: Advance integration of chronic disease prevention and health promotion within health care services in programs serving women of reproductive age.

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Develop and promote evidence-based programs, policies, and practices for preventing unintended teen pregnancy.

Family Planning Methods, Services, and Use: Develop and promote the evidence base for quality family planning services and methods.

Maternal Mortality and Complications of Pregnancy: Identify and review maternal deaths and complications of pregnancy to inform prevention efforts.

Preterm Birth Prevention: Investigate the causes and consequences of preterm birth and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Prevention: Improve the investigation and monitoring of SIDS and SUID and identify opportunities for preventing and reducing racial and ethnic disparities.

Science to Practice: Identify and implement effective strategies for promoting translation of science to practice, concentrating on DRH’s Strategic Areas of Focus.

Strategic Partnerships: Develop and leverage targeted approaches to partnerships that increase the application of science to practice, concentrating on DRH’s Strategic Areas of Focus.

Global Reproductive Health: Continue to improve maternal and newborn health through training, surveillance, monitoring, and measurement; and to build capacity in maternal child health epidemiology.