The Office of Health Equity (OHE) is located in the CDC Immediate Office of the Director and serves as principal advisor to the CDC Director on all health equity matters domestic and global. In carrying out its mission, OHE: (1) implements an agency-wide equity strategy that includes multi-year initiatives that advance comprehensive, well-defined, and measurable health equity outcomes; (2) coordinates health equity science including advancing the surveillance of health equity indicators and the science of achieving health equity by consistently applying data collection and analysis standards in collaboration with the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, as well as the Office of Science (3) coordinates programs, practices, policies, and budget decisions across the agency with a health equity lens that includes a comprehensive view of disparities (including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, rurality, disability); (4) coordinates agency-wide equity initiatives and priorities to build on work accomplished to date and ensure alignment of internal and external efforts to advance health equity; (5) works in collaboration with CDC’s Office of Communications to develop and lead agency-wide communication efforts aimed at increasing awareness, increasing transparency, and fostering a unified understanding of the purpose, importance, and synergy amongst CDC health equity initiatives and to disseminate scientific and programmatic findings to the public; (6) shares best practices, coordinates and collaborates, and collectively advances health equity standards and principles in science, programs, and in communications with the public and our partners; and (7) leads and supports a health equity approach for emergency responses across the agency that includes working with partners to reach communities with large disparities and health needs; and (8) provides and coordinates leadership for the implementation of CDC’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility strategic plan ensuring CDC’s workforce, workplace, culture and infrastructure reflect diversity policies, procedures and practices that support all employees in reaching their full potential so that they may better accomplish CDC’s mission and be effective guardians of public health.

(Approved 1/24/2023; Effective 2/8/2023)

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ohe-mission-statement.pdf