Which U.S. government agency is focused on preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the U.S. government agency specifically tasked with protecting public health by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. This agency conducts extensive research, provides information to promote health and safety, and develops policies and guidelines to combat health threats. The CDC plays a critical role in responding to health emergencies, including outbreaks of infectious diseases, and works to educate the public on best practices to prevent illness.

While the other agencies mentioned have important health-related roles, their focuses differ. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) primarily oversees the safety and efficacy of food, drugs, and medical devices, ensuring they meet certain standards before they are approved for public use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is primarily dedicated to biomedical and public health research, seeking to enhance our understanding of health and disease, but it does not take the direct role in disease prevention and control like the CDC. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) focuses on environmental health and regulating pollutants to protect the environment, which indirectly impacts public health but does not directly handle disease prevention and control in the same way as the CDC.