DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION IN URBAN AREAS - CDC PERSPECTIVE

The mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to prevent disease, injury, and premature death and to promote qualit y of life. This mission applies to all Americans, especially to the po or and underserved. As so many people who are impoverished live in Ame rica's urban areas. the CDC has a unique and specific interest in the health problems of out urban population. The CDC has established five priorities: (1) strengthen essential public health services, (2) enric h capacity to respond to urgent threats to health, (3) develop a natio nwide prevention network and program, (4) promote women's health, and (5) invest in our nation's youth. Each of these priorities will contri bute to improving the health of people living in urban areas. The CDC has recently undertaken numerous initiatives to address health promoti on and disease prevention issues in the urban setting. Future directio ns for the CDC lie in better understanding the role of socioeconomic a nd cultural factors in promoting health and how resources within urban areas can be used to promote health. The CDC needs to explore potenti al relationships with various types of partners. Solving urban health problems requires actions from many federal agencies as well as from s tate and local organizations.