Washington (H24N). In the current issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Report from the Centers for Disease Control, the nationally respected center took time to recognize 10 significant public health achievements in the United States in the 20^th century.

According to the CDC, public health in the United States invented itself largely in the 20^th century.

A collection of do-good public policy notions, public health policy, its institutions, laws and standards were set out in the 1900s in response to some pointed and broadly threatening medical and health issues.

At the turn of the century infectious diseases associated with poor hygiene and sanitation (typhoid), diseases arising from inadequate nutrition (pellagra and goiter), poor maternal and infant health, and diseases or injuries associated with unsafe workplaces or hazardous occupations represented principal threats to the U.S. population, according to the CDC.

Key responses were the introduction of vaccinations and antibiotics, and aggressive health education programs.

But, as the director of the CDC pointed out, with the decrease in the incidence of these diseases, chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular problems saw a marked increase.

The CDC used as an example of the critical role of public health policy and administration the outbreak of poliomyelitis among children vaccinated in the mid l950s, and public health’s response.

The national polio surveillance program was able to identify that these polio cases were linked to a particular brand of vaccine that had been contaminated with live poliovirus.

The national program to vaccinate against polio was able to continue, according to the CDC report, by using different verifiable polio vaccines made by other manufacturers.

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