interventions to reduce cases associated with drug use, lapses in infection control, and perinatal transmission. On a global level, approximately 350–370 million persons are infected with HBV, and 130–170 million are living with HCV (33,34). CDC works with ministries of health, WHO, GAVI, and other international partners to prevent new cases, including introducing and advancing HBV vaccines as part of childhood immunization regimens. ELEMENT 3 Develop and advance policies to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases Protecting the nation from infectious diseases requires sound, evidence‐based health policies designed to • Ensure appropriate development and delivery of infectious disease prevention measures • Reduce health disparities and improve the health of vulnerable populations • Promote engagement with global partners to reduce cross‐border disease spread and contain outbreaks at their source To be most effective, these policies must reflect the best science and the best public health thinking, with broad input and consideration of varying perspectives to ensure recognition of the complex societal factors that affect the nation’s health—the social determinants of health. Therefore, policy development should extend beyond the public health and healthcare communities to engage stakeholders and other partners across multiple sectors and specialties. 20 | CDC ID Framework Priorities Priorities include ensuring the availability of sound scientific data to support policy development at CDC and partner organizations while working to advance established and new policies to reduce infectious diseases. CDC consults with individuals and institutions across the nation to advance policy development by reviewing emerging problems, addressing gaps in scientific knowledge, and identifying new opportunities for policy solutions. Once policies are formulated and in place, CDC works with public health and healthcare partners to facilitate implementation and evaluate outcomes. Priority 3A. Ensure the availability of sound scientific data to support the development of evidence-based and cost-effective policies The availability of accurate, timely, and useful data is essential to inform national, state, and other policies on infectious disease control and prevention. Examples include national regulations to prevent U.S. importation and spread of TB and other quarantinable conditions, quality assurance for clinical laboratory testing, oversight of research laboratories working with disease agents and toxins that could potentially be used for bioweapons, and industry regulations to improve the safety of food and water. Organizations such as The Joint Commission and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (which also contributes to The Guide to Community Preventive Services) also rely on strong scientific data and public health recommendations to enhance healthcare quality. Similarly, public health recommendations developed by ACIP are based on the best available scientific data, and are, in turn, used by states and other policy makers to formulate immunization policies for schools, daycare facilities, and other educational and care settings. Actions to support the development of effective, evidence-based policies for infectious disease prevention and control include • Assessing the national burdens of high-mortality infectious diseases (e.g., respiratory diseases, HIV infection) • Identifying public health activities with high return on investments, including those directed toward high-risk populations • Developing strategies for sustaining and expanding public/private collaborations to improve healthcare quality (e.g., based on proven practices outlined in guidelines to reduce HAIs) • Creating predictive models for disease emergence (e.g., vectorborne and zoonotic diseases), disease spread, outbreak response, and disease elimination (e.g., HBV, TB, congenital syphilis) • Monitoring rates of and risk factors for foodborne illness to inform food safety policy and regulatory action • Monitoring the effectiveness of strategies to reduce behaviors that increase individual risk for infectious diseases (e.g., through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). October 2011 | 21 Protecting the nation from infectious diseases requires sound, evidence‐ based health policies . . . To be most effective, these policies must reflect the best science and the best public health thinking, with broad input and consideration of varying perspectives to ensure recognition of the complex societal factors that affect the nation’s health . . . Priority 3B. Advance policies to improve prevention, detection, and control of infectious diseases Effective implementation of evidence‐based health policies can prevent illness and disease spread, enhance healthcare quality, promote health equity, and reduce healthcare costs. Efforts are needed to advance new and ongoing policies that achieve the following: • Help integrate clinical infectious disease preventive practices into U.S. healthcare CDC and state and local health departments are advancing policies and practices that increase healthcare quality and reduce healthcare costs, in accordance with the 2010 Affordable Care Act. These efforts require sustained public health outreach to healthcare providers, hospitals, clinical laboratories, and healthcare organizations. Activities that help