As we look ahead at the public health challenges of an ever-changing world, CDC and its partners must strive to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats. CDC seeks to accomplish its mission by working with partners throughout the nation and the world to monitor health; detect and investigate health problems; conduct research to enhance prevention; develop and advocate sound public health policies; implement prevention strategies; promote healthy behaviors; foster safe and healthful environments; and provide leadership and training. These functions represent the backbone of CDC’s mission; however, the success of that mission is dependent upon the capacity of each CDC center, division, or other component to efficiently perform the tasks essential to accomplishing their respective programmatic responsibilities. Thus, successful execution of CDC’s mission requires tenacious adherence to the principles of scientific excellence, as well as a cadre of well-trained public health practitioners and leaders dedicated to quality standards and ethical practice.

CDC has three core values:

By working everyday under these core values, we continue to demonstrate expertise, intensity, and dedication. Our H1N1 response showed our ability to act quickly, use data effectively, and implement programs effectively. But speed, data quality, and practical action must continually improve—and we must apply these principles to everything we do. In addition to keeping pace with the increasing rate of change, we must strengthen our ability to get things done in the field. This means using data rapidly to improve our performance and to help our partners improve their performance.

CDC needs to build on the successes of 2009, both for our H1N1 response and our work as a whole. Fortunately, our current administration is deeply committed to science and the importance of community-based interventions for health promotion, which will strengthen our ability to achieve our mission. The country and the world depend on us more than ever before to deliver quality results quickly, and with continued collaboration with our partners, CDC can continue to provide solutions to help curb preventable illness, injuries, and death.