CDC Foundation

A new program developed by the CDC Foundation and CDC streamlines information exchange between medical examiners and coroners’ offices and their colleagues across public health, public safety and beyond.

This updated process for sharing data allows families faster access to death certificates, opens better lines of communication between agencies and sets up a much quicker way to track emerging—and emergency—public health threats, like disease outbreaks or environmental hazards.

Read more:

Shareable Death Data Benefits the Public and Public Health An initiative to help medical examiners and coroners–also referred to as Medicolegal Death Investigators (MDI)–share their data with public health and other agencies is having a major impact, allowing families faster access to death certificates and officials a quicker response to community heal...

Today, on International Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the lives lost and reaffirm our commitment to saving those still at risk. Our Overdose Data to Action team at the Mississippi State Department of Health helped create a Peer Navigator brochure, a vital resource designed to connect individuals with the support they need on their recovery journey.

Whether it's through community outreach, providing essential resources or guiding individuals toward treatment and well-being, we’re dedicated to creating safer, healthier communities for everyone.

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, a day when we can come together to highlight the strength of standing in support of those connected to the tragedy of overdose.

For resources, visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://cdcf.link/3X0QTBw.

“I really enjoy the opportunity to build positive relationships with both my colleagues and individuals from our partnering organizations on this project. Drowning prevention is such important work and participating in these efforts with amazing partners and colleagues who truly care about the safety of children and youth brings me great joy.” – Greg Field Jr., technical advisor in the Understanding and Preventing Drowning program at the CDC Foundation.

Earlier this week, CDC Foundation President and CEO Dr. Judy Monroe joined the National Governors Association Data Summit to discuss how state-driven reforms can help strengthen and improve public health and share valuable perspectives on shaping a healthier future for communities across the country.

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Alison Moran Thompson as chief advancement officer. In this role Thompson will lead the Advancement Department with overall responsibility for the Foundation’s resource mobilization efforts and donor relations strategy. Congratulations, Alison!

Read the full release here:

CDC Foundation Promotes Alison Moran Thompson to Chief Advancement Officer Alison Moran Thompson promoted to Chief Advancement Officer at the CDC Foundation.

In partnership with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, Jhpiego Sierra Leone and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are proud to support event-based surveillance training.

In a recent piece by Resolve to Save Lives, read about an outbreak of food poisoning that impacted over 100 residents in Sierra Leone and how event-based surveillance allowed officials to act swiftly and effectively: https://cdcf.link/4g6IVj5

We're excited to announce the release of our podcast, Contagious Conversations, today! In our latest episode, featuring a redesigned format, we interview Dr. Dan Filardo of CDC, Dr. Michael Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and Dr. Alexander Sloboda of the Chicago Department of Public Health to explore how public health impacts our economy and the true costs of getting sick.

Listen for more: cdcf.link/podcast

CDC Foundation The CDC Foundation is a global nonprofit, managing public health programs that impact chronic and infectious diseases and emergency threats like COVID-19.

"As interns, the CDC Foundation provided us an opportunity to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Whether we continue in public health, move into research or pursue other related fields, the skills and knowledge we acquired through our internships at the CDC Foundation will undoubtedly shape our future careers, and contribute to our success."

Read more about CDC Foundation Intern Kristen Taylor's summer internship experience:

Internships Pave the Way for a Brighter Tomorrow | CDC Foundation This summer, I joined 13 diverse undergraduate and graduate students from around the country to support the CDC Foundation’s mission while gaining individual experience in public health.

A new survey found support for increasing access to drug treatment programs and affordable housing as a way to address key urban public health issues like community safety.

The data from Big Cities Health Coalition show seven in 10 residents believe a public health approach is the most effective way to address drug overdose and homelessness in their cities and identified economic factors such as unaffordable housing and high inflation and the ongoing mental health crisis as the primary drivers of substance use, homelessness and community safety issues in their city.

Read the full report: https://cdcf.link/3ANoyHu

"I am proud of the State Funded Projects team for providing essential support to public health departments across the country. As a former state public health manager, I know first-hand how difficult it can be for state health departments alone to recruit, develop and support a workforce. I am gratified to be a part of the Foundation’s efforts working in public/private partnership with agencies to ensure every community has access to a public health workforce with the capacity to address new and existing health threats." – Karen Girard, project manager, CDC Foundation, shares her perspective her work and team members.

The CDC Foundation is hiring, including for a number of hybrid and remote positions. If you're interested in working in donor experience, program operations, research or strategic planning, learn more joining the team: https://www.cdcfoundation.org/jobs

The 2-dose mpox vaccine gives you the best protection against severe illness and helps prevent the spread of mpox. It's National Immunization Awareness Month, and if you've got questions about mpox, King of Vogue and public health advocate Dashaun Wesley has the answers. We're also pleased to announce that this video was recently selected for the APHA Public Health Film Festival.

Read more: https://cdcf.link/3MmRWH2

In the last 30 years, roughly 508 million illnesses have been prevented and nearly 1.1 million lives saved thanks to the CDC's Vaccine for Children (VFC) program.

Recently, the program celebrated their 30th anniversary with a reception that celebrated its impact and reminded us that the work is not done. Read more about the event which included remarks from our President and CEO, Dr. Judy Monroe here:

Vaccines For Children Celebrates 30 Years The 30th anniversary reception for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Vaccine for Children (VFC) program was a celebration of the program’s impact and a reminder that the work is not done.

Just released: A new report calls for action in order to safeguard our nation's health.

In its latest findings, Trust for America's Health outlines how chronic underfunding of our nation's public health system has left it unable to effectively meet the challenges of the 21st century, including adequate support for state and regional disease detection and surveillance, protections of food, water and environmental safety, health promotion and emergency preparedness and response activities.

Read the full report for details and six recommended actions the nation can take now to protect the health of individuals and communities, address health disparities, reduce healthcare spending and enhance economic security.

New Report: Decades of Underfunding Have Limited the Public Health System’s Capacity to Protect Americans’ Health and Respond to Emergencies - TFAH Core federal public health funding remained flat for the past decade as the nation’s population and health risks grew (Washington, DC – August 21, 2024) – Insufficient funding has left the nation’s public health system without the necessary resources to meet the public health challenges of t...

On we recognize the researchers and health workers around the world fighting deadly, vector-borne diseases like malaria. This work is most critical in the hard-hit countries of sub-Saharan Africa, which account for 95% of the over 600,000 annual deaths from malaria globally.

In 2022, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the CDC, the CDC Foundation helped establish a new laboratory in Dakar, Senegal to expand efforts to monitor and combat the growing threat of drug-resistant malaria.

This state-of-the-art laboratory is the first of its kind in Africa, training scientists and researchers from neighboring countries to identify the genetic mutations associated with antimalarial resistance:

Building A Strong Response to Drug-Resistant Malaria in Africa Launched in 2014, PARMA was designed to bring together malaria experts across Africa and the U.S. to track emerging resistance so countries can adapt treatment protocols. Nowhere is this work more critical than in the hard-hit countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

On , we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who support our mission. Your generosity empowers our staff and partners to lead vital programs. Together, we're creating healthier, safer and more vibrant communities. Thank you for being part of the CDC Foundation family!

Recently, for World Drowning Prevention Day, we shared a story about our partnership with CDC and Bloomberg Philanthropies to help 20 community organizations offer low and no-cost classes to school-age children in areas with higher drowning rates.

On , read more about our outreach and impact:

Improving Youth Access to Swim Lessons In response to rising drowning rates among U.S. children, the CDC Foundation and CDC, with financial support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, developed an initiative to fund 20 community-serving organizations around the country to offer no-cost and low-cost swimming and water safety classes to kids ag...

Today, for , we're proud to share a collection of stories showcasing the variety of our daily work and the local, national and global impact of that work in action. Keep an eye on our channels throughout the day. 👀

Without our CDC Foundation staff, donors and partners, this work would not be possible. We appreciate each of you who work to make our lives healthier and safer. Comment below why you love the non-profit sector. ❤️

📸 Photos: A team of CDC Foundation staff travel to Alaska to install gravity fed water systems for clean drinking water, a microbiologist receives blood samples to test for Ebola, and a crafted sign made during "The Mould that Changed the World" musical in Atlanta, Georgia.

Today, we're celebrating the remarkable contributions of Dr. Joan Cioffi, a leader in interdisciplinary preventive healthcare. With a career dedicated to enhancing public health systems and policies, Joan's work has left a lasting impact on communities across the globe. From spearheading innovative health initiatives to mentoring the next generation of public health professionals, her legacy is one of dedication, compassion and leadership.

Join us in celebrating Joan's enduring legacy and her dedication to advancing public health.

Read her inspiring story:

Joan Cioffi: A leader in interdisciplinary preventive healthcare Throughout her career, Dr. Joan Cioffi leveraged her interdisciplinary background to foster connections between diverse actors in public health. She was an early believer in the value of bridging both laboratory and social sciences and academic and governmental work, allowing her to develop creative...

From the CDC's latest MMWR, celebrating 30 years of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program providing vaccinations at no cost to eligible U.S. children, we're happy to share some critical highlights from the report, below:

⚪ Vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million illnesses in children born during 1994-2023

⚪ VFC distributed over 74 million pediatric vaccines in 2023 to participating healthcare providers.

⚪ Almost 90% of VFC-eligible children born between 2011 and 2020 received the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

Learn more in the full report: https://cdcf.link/4fBQu10

Congrats to Gabby Thomas, Team USA Olympics gold medalist in the 200m sprint in Paris and health equity advocate! The woman sometimes called “the world’s fastest epidemiologist” holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas.

According to USA Today, she runs an intervention program for people with high blood pressure at a Texas clinic and was inspired to study epidemiology by a class she took as a Harvard undergrad focusing on health-care disparities.

Read more about Gabby Thomas and both her and public health journeys: https://cdcf.link/46GLB2B

In the moment an athlete bends and extends their arms to shoot a bow, and the crowd waits for the arrow to hit the target, years of public health initiatives have helped make this moment possible.
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Archery requires excellent hand-eye coordination, vision and posture. Thanks to public health guidance on eye exams, exercise regimens, diet and stress management, all of these elements come together to make sure athletes can not only achieve medals, but whole-person wellness. Thanks, public health!

As the games come to a close, we're both inspired by the strength of Team USA and proud to illustrate how public health works behind-the-scenes to help people in all communities strive for gold. Thanks to public health guidelines, recommendations and research, we can understand more about what we need to live healthier and safer lives. Thanks, public health!

The results are in: Childhood immunizations save lives and money. A newly-released CDC study found that for children born during 1994–2023, routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations and 1,129,000 deaths, resulting in direct savings of $540 billion and societal savings of $2.7 trillion.

The takeaway: Routine childhood immunizations remain a highly cost-effective public health intervention, preventing thousands of lifetime illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths among children.

Read the full study: https://cdcf.link/3yxEih6

What's the connection between skateboarders participating in the games and public health guidelines?

Balance! Part of the art of skateboarding, in addition to defying gravity and having precise balance, is the ability skateboarders have to prevent falling. Thanks to public health guidelines, there are widely available falling assessments for those of us not on four wheels. Thanks, public health!

As an 2024 tennis player battles for gold on the clay, their whole body engages in the split seconds they have to hit and receive the ball back. Tennis, a cardio-intense sport that benefits the whole body, falls into the public health recommendations to prevent heart disease. Thanks to public health guidelines, we know that children and adults should aim to exercise daily in order to keep their hearts healthy. Thanks, public health!

Since the 1920 Summer Olympics, athletes have weightlifted their way toward gold. This year, as we watch athletes lift, we can thank public health guidelines on metabolic rates and proper nutrition to help build muscle and support active immune systems. Thanks, public health!

From now through Sunday, there will be 22 cycling events as a part of the games. When you think of a cyclist, you likely envision a helmet protecting their head, gloves protecting their hands and eyewear to protect their eyes. Thanks to public health, not only are cyclists looking stylish, but they're also protected by bicycle safety guidelines, bicycle helmet laws and bike lane laws. Thanks, public health! 🚴