This page is an introduction to online health-related resources from the
US government and is comprised of the following major sections:
Leading Causes of Death in America
The leading causes of death in America include Heart Disease, Cancer, Preventable Injuries, and Infectious Diseases.
Heart Disease
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health is dedicated to improving public knowledge about heart disease, and preventing heart disease and stroke.
The institute's Live Healthier, Live Longer Web site provides online information on how to reduce cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease.
The institute also provides an online guide to lowering blood pressure and information about how to maintain a healthy weight
Cancer
Services of the National Cancer Institute's CancerNet include: the Cancer Information Service, accessible from anywhere in the United States and Puerto Rico by dialing 1-800-4-CANCER; news about Breast Cancer and the BRCA1 gene, reported to be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer; and the Kid's Home at the National Cancer Institute, which is designed especially for children suffering from cancer, HIV, and other illnesses. Highlights from the Kid's Home include: A story about Phil the Pill, a boy who hated taking his medicine, as well as an information guide for parents, suggesting ways to talk to your children about cancer.
Preventable Injuries
The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works to reduce the disabilities, deaths and costs associated with injuries. The center supports the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, which provides customized injury-related data. CDC also provides consumer safety information on its Safe USA Web site.
The CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was created to research and make recommendations for preventing work-related injuries. The online service includes a fact sheet about the usefulness of back belts, information on the Health Hazard Evaluation Program, and a Guide to Chemical Hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a program agency of the Department of Labor, is dedicated to setting and enforcing workplace safety standards. Its online service includes information on filing a complaint with OSHA, free consultation services, and the Asbestos Advisor.
Infectious Disease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are dedicated to the promotion of a healthier quality of life through prevention and controlling of disease, injury, and disability. The National Center for Infectious Diseases is an agency of the CDC committed to the control of existing and emerging infectious diseases. A list of new, reemerging, and drug resistant infections, an online version of the Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the agency's strategy for preventing emerging infectious diseases are available. On the CDC Hospital Infection Control Page is information about preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV, in hospitals Aerosols and and information on universal precautions and protective barriers used in infection control. The CDC prevention guidelines database provides information about preventing diseases. General immunization information is also available.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health provides support for scientists researching ways to better diagnose, treat and prevent infectious diseases. NIAID has developed a Global Health Research Plan for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis; a Strategic Plan for Addressing Health Disparities.
Prevention
Helping people stay healthy and manage their own health is a top priority.
The Department of Health and Human Services
provides easy access to health information from all Federal agencies and other reliable organizations through
healthfinder®.
It includes special sections for children
and Spanish-speaking people.
The National Institutes of Health offers comprehensive information on numerous health issues.
Top health priorities for individuals and communities over the decade are featured on the Healthy People 2010 site.
In addition, CDC's National Immunization Program provides information and resources for parents, health care professionals, and the public on immunization recommendations and vaccine preventable diseases.
Health Care
The Department of Health and Human
Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting
the health of all Americans. Current research and data
are provided to help increase understanding of health and social services.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
provides information for consumers and
professionals about the quality of health care.
The Administration on Aging and
the Aging Network were created to provide support and services to our nation's
older persons.
The Indian Health Service provides individual and public health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives of federally recognized tribes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration) administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs and provides information on related topics. Information about Medicare about Medicaid are available online. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides online confidential substance abuse and mental health treatment locator services.
Health and Environment
The Food and Drug Administration promotes and protects the public health by helping safe and effective products reach the market in a timely way, and monitoring products for continued safety after they are in use. FDA-regulated products include common food ingredients, medical and surgical devices, lifesaving drugs, and radiation-emitting consumer and medical products.
FDA safeguards the nation's food by making sure that all ingredients are safe and that products are free of contaminants. Medical products such as prescription and non-prescription drugs, blood products, vaccines, and tissues for transplantation and medical equipmentneed to be proven safe and effective before they can be used by patients. FDA also protects the public from unnecessary exposure to radiation from electronic productssuch as microwave ovens, cell phones, x-ray equipment and lasers.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciencesat NIH supports and conducts research to reduce the burden of environmentally caused illnesses. NIEHS provides a number of online fact sheets and pamphletsfor consumers on issues such as asthma and lead poisoning as well as an alphabetical listof environmental health topics. The institute screens substances that may cause disease and publishes the federal government's Report on Carcinogens
The United States Department of
Agriculture oversees many programs aimed at improving the quality of life
for all Americans. The mission of the Food and Consumer Service is to ensure
access to nutritious, healthful diets for all Americans. Programs and resources
under the FCS include the FCS Food
Source Network - a public forum for FCS related discussions, Food
Research and Evaluation Data,
Team Nutrition -
the school meals initiative for healthy children, and the
National School
Lunch Week Proclamation. The Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service ensures the health care of plants and
animals as well as improving agricultural competitiveness and productivity.
APHIS' Import-Export
Directory contains information on import and export regulations. Also
available online are traveler tips for bringing
materials into the U.S. and
biotechnology
information, including a section about genetically altered foods.
The Environmental Protection Agency
is responsible for executing Federal environmental protection laws. The EPA
provides a list of
programs aimed at environmental protection. These include the
Acid Rain Program,
Energy Star Programs,
the Stratospheric Ozone
Protection Program, and Wetlands
Protection. Consumer
information is also available from the EPA, including: the
UV Index document,
the Energy Star Computer Products
Listing, and the Radon
Publications.
The U.S. Geological Survey's
Environment Page
advocates that understanding the conditions and functions of environmental
systems and the factors that are changing them is an important function of the
USGS scientific mission. Highlights of the USGS online service include
The Global Change and Climate History
Program,
Environmental Affairs Program, and
Radon
Research.
The U.S. Department of Energy's
Biological and
Environmental Research supports biological and environmental research
projects, including The Human Genome
Project -- aimed at characterizing the human genome --,
the Global Change
Research Programs -- aimed at measuring and predicting changes in the global
environment --, and the
Protecting
Human Subjects Program.
Alcohol, Smoking, and Drug Information
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information is the world's largest resource for web-based alcohol and drug abuse information - focusing not only on treatment issues, but also prevention.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online Tobacco Information and Prevention Source(TIPS) includes data and resources on how to quit smoking.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is an agency of the National Institutes of Health dedicated to bringing science resources to the problem of drug abuse and addiction. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducts and supports research into the causes, consequences, treatments and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.