CDC seeks comments on critical public health needs

Dec 5, 2005 (CIDRAP News) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is inviting comments on its Public Health Protection Research Guide 2006-2015. Individuals can review the guide and offer comments on what future research avenues should be adopted to better protect health.

The guide offers a comprehensive, long-range vision of those national and global public health needs the CDC and its partners can address through research. In a report announcing the initiative, the organization states: "The Guide will help identify critical knowledge needed to achieve CDC's new health protection goals which are designed to maximize the health impact of the programs, services, and emergency responses."

Among the topics addressed are infectious diseases like pandemic influenza, chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes, disasters and terrorism, environmental and workplace exposures and injuries. The guide will also highlight the need for more research in genomics, public health informatics, ethics, health disparities between sub-populations, as well as new approaches to sustain and prepare a high functioning public health workforce.

The formal public comment period began Nov 18 and will last until Jan 15. Input can be given through the CDC's Web site (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/publiccomments/), via e-mail (ResearchGuide@cdc.gov) or by US mail (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop D-72, Atlanta, GA 30333).