About Division of Infectious Disease Readiness and Innovation

Our mission

DIDRI strengthens public health capacity across the nation to prevent infectious diseases and optimize health outcomes for all. DIDRI achieves this mission by partnering with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments; growing a highly skilled and adaptive public health workforce; utilizing innovative approaches to detect, prevent, and control infectious diseases; and providing resources to improve health outcomes and equity.

Priorities

• Enhance state, tribal, local, and territorial capacity building in epidemiology, laboratory, and health information systems.
• Advance implementation of pathogen genomic sequencing technologies and bioinformatics to find, track, and stop infectious disease threats.
• Expand the use of wastewater surveillance to identify outbreaks, direct prevention efforts to where they are most needed, and provide insight into disease spread.
• Improve health outcomes and prevention infectious diseases among all people in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region, with a focus on indigenous populations.

Why it matters

DIDRI works to ensure the public health system can detect and respond to infectious disease threats, with a special focus on emerging pathogens. Our focus on scientific innovation, data modernization, and partnerships helps ensure that the nation has the cutting-edge technology, expertise, and infrastructure in place to protect communities from emerging infectious diseases.

Our work

We build and strengthen public health capacity by enhancing the ability of CDC and its public health partners to prepare for, prevent, and respond to infectious diseases through several key programs:

• Advanced Molecular Detection integrates next generation genomic sequencing technologies with bioinformatics and epidemiology expertise across CDC and the nation to help us find, track, and stop disease-causing pathogens.
• Arctic Investigations Program improves health outcomes and prevention infectious diseases among all people in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region, with a focus on indigenous populations.
• The Emerging Infections Program translates surveillance and research activities into informed policy and public health practice to address emerging infections.
• The Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program enhances capacity building in epidemiology, laboratory, and health information systems for states and jurisdictions through funding, workforce development and technical assistance.
• James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program supports public health research and professional development in infectious diseases and health disparities and focuses on increasing knowledge and interest in public health research careers among racial and ethnic minority students.
• National Wastewater Surveillance System identifies outbreak trends in wastewater, directs prevention efforts to where they are most needed, and provide additional insight into disease spread that complements other public health surveillance data.