Public Health Service Act

The Public Health Service Act is a foundational piece of United States legislation that established and continues to shape the nation's public health infrastructure. It created agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which focuses on preventing and controlling disease and promoting health. The Act also underpins the broader efforts to improve sanitation, manage infectious diseases, and oversee the distribution of medicines, evolving from historical measures like quarantines and sanitary reforms. In the U.S., public health is managed at federal, state, and local levels, with the Department of Health and Human Services playing a key role.123