Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health
Abstract
"Environmental public health tracking is the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, and interpretation of data about environmental hazards, exposure to environ mental hazards, and human health effects potentially related to exposure to environmental hazards. It includes dissemination of information learned from these data. The mission of environmental public health tracking_is to improve the health of communities. Using infor- mation from an environmental public health tracking network, federal, state, and local agencies will be better prepared to develop and evaluate effective public health actions to prevent or control chronic and acute diseases that can be linked to hazards in the environment. Health- care providers can provide better care and targeted preventive services. In addition, the public will have a better understanding of what is occurring in their communities and what actions they may take to protect or improve their health. CDC's goal is to develop a national network that will (1) be standards-based; (2) allow direct electronic data reporting and linkage within and across health effect, exposure, and hazard data; and (3) interoperate with other public health systems." - p. 1Caption title."March 2003"--p. 4."NCEH Pub No. 03-0051"--p. 4
