Introduction
Organizations at various levels work to protect people and provide them with equal access to healthcare. Nurses can impact people’s health and safety by collaborating with organizations, using their sources, serving as volunteers, and joining assistance or development programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a national-level organization based in America that significantly helps maintain citizens’ health. The current paper analyzes the CDC’s mission and vision, its impact, and some factors that determine the provision of services.
Organization’s Mission and Vision
CDC directs its activities following the stated vision and mission. The vision of the organization is “equitably protecting health, safety and security” (CDC, 2022b, para. 1). The organization’s mission is to protect American citizens from disease through scientific research, reporting, information provision, and threat response (CDC, 2022b). Therefore, the CDC contributes to public health and safety by providing reliable data on diseases and how to prevent them. Informing plays an essential role for health care professionals and all citizens, as data makes it possible to fight and prevent diseases and save more lives.
The CDC creates various initiatives and programs that help implement its mission and vision. An example of such a service is Active People, Healthy NationSM, an initiative to increase the population’s physical activity to prevent heart disease and other chronic illnesses (Fulton et al., 2018). It involves exploring different programs that can increase physical activity, mobilizing resources and partners to inform the public, and promoting physical activity (Fulton et al., 2018). Such actions should lead to changes in the population’s behavior, pushing people to be more active and gradually improving their health. This initiative and the steps taken to implement it illustrate the features of the CDC activity.
Promoting Equal Opportunity and Quality of Life
A significant part of the population faces various barriers in accessing health care. For example, racism and discrimination are powerful social barriers that lead to the neglect of minorities and the lack of adequate health care for them. Moreover, discrimination extends to other areas of life, affecting the economic position of the population. As a result, some groups cannot afford the insurance, necessary food, and living conditions to maintain health and quality of life. Cultural barriers can arise when different languages or traditions become obstacles to interacting with providers and patients. Additional factors of influence are physical barriers, such as difficulties for people from rural areas to come to the hospital or inefficient organization of facilities for people with disabilities. Given the number and effect of barriers, CDC is committed to reducing their impact and helping the public to provide equal opportunities and improve the quality of life.
The CDC is taking various actions to minimize the described barriers effect. In particular, the organization provides technical assistance, develops guidance and tools, serves as an essential source of data, and supports the activities of other organizations, which helps to overcome different types of barriers (Moore et al., 2022). For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization implemented several strategies to ensure fairness and equal opportunity (Moore et al., 2022). They included expanding the evidence base to include often neglected groups, supporting programs and initiatives to reach more populations, and supporting health workers and diversity among them (Moore et al., 2022). Thus, through its activities, CDC strives to make healthcare more accessible, promoting equal opportunities and thereby improving the population’s quality of life.
Funding, Policy, and Legislation
The organization’s performance depends on several factors, such as funding, legislation, and policy. CDC receives funding through foundations, contracts, and grants to support its activities (CDC, 2021). The organization depends on financing as resources are required to hire and retain employees and provide services. At the same time, the CDC is subject to Federal Regulations and is responsible for implementing relevant public health laws. Consequently, the decisions taken at the federal level affect the organization’s activities by determining its directions. Funding, legislation, and policies that affect the CDC can influence the populations the organization seeks to protect. Fluctuations in allocation or reallocation to different projects and policies determine what problems will be solved and who will be covered by the organization.
Impact on Community’s Health Needs
CDC activities contribute to a better understanding of the health needs of communities and as a consequence of their provision. Scientific research by the organization helps to investigate the current situation in communities, pay attention to existing problems and search for solutions. This knowledge is used to create tools that can be useful for communities. For example, the community health improvement navigator tool helps identify needs for their subsequent addressing (CDC, 2022). Moreover, the organization creates guidance and suggestions that communities can use for their benefit. Nurses can be involved in ensuring public health and collaborate with CDC. They interpret the organization’s recommendations, provide advice to the population, disseminate information, and facilitate research by collecting the necessary data (Edmonds et al., 2020). As a result, CDC contributes to identifying and meeting the needs of communities through conducting research and informing the population.
Conclusion
Thus, CDC is the American national organization aimed at maintaining public health through informing the population about diseases and their prevention and responding to threats. To realize its mission to protect public health, the organization offers initiatives and programs of various directions. The CDC contributes significantly to promoting equal opportunity and improving the population’s quality of life through its work. At the same time, it is influenced by politics, legislation, and funding sources. By protecting public health, the organization also contributes to identifying and addressing community health needs. As a result, the CDC significantly impacts public health, equal opportunity, and the population’s quality of life.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Funding resources.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022a). CDC Community Health Improvement Navigator. Цуию
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022b). Mission, role and pledge.
Edmonds, J. K., Kneipp, S. M., & Campbell, L. (2020). A call to action for public health nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Public Health Nursing, 37(3), 323–324.
Fulton, J. E., Buchner, D. M., Carlson, S. A., Borbely, D., Rose, K. M., O’Connor, A. E., Gunn, J. P., & Petersen, R. (2018). CDC’s Active People, Healthy NationSM: Creating an active America, together. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 15(7), 469-473. Web.
Moore, J. T., Luna-Pinto, C., Cox, H., Razi, S., St Louis, M. E., Ricaldi, J. N., & Liburd, L. (2022). Promoting health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, United States. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 100(2), 171–173.