important decisions do not negatively affect human health because of weakened public health capacities will require broad and well‐ coordinated collaborative efforts to determine the best use of limited resources. The ID Framework takes into account many of the scientific, demographic, technological, and economic developments currently modifying efforts to protect public health . . . Notable trends include an increased emphasis on disease prevention as a basic, cost‐saving component of U.S. healthcare . . . Box 2. Linkages between chronic and infectious diseases Infectious disease can cause chronic diseases • Infectious agents are linked to three of the six major causes of cancer death worldwide: hepatitis B and C viruses to hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer); human papillomavirus (HPV) to cervical cancer; and the bacteria Helicobacter pylori to gastric cancer. • HIV, hepatitis viruses, and Borrelia burgdorferi (the tick‐borne spirochete that causes Lyme disease) can cause persistent arthritis. Infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis can also cause arthritis. • Tropheryma whipplei, as well as H. pylori, can cause gastrointestinal disorders. • Human T‐cell lymphotropic viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, West Nile virus, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis) can cause neurological disorders, especially in immunocompromised persons. Hepatitis C virus can cause depression and chronic fatigue. • There is growing evidence linking certain infections with colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. Some chronic diseases caused by infection can be prevented by vaccine or treated with antibiotics • Hepatitis B virus infections and infection with the HPV strains that most commonly cause cancer are vaccine‐preventable. Moreover, peptic ulcers caused by H. pylori can be treated with antibiotics. Chronic conditions can increase the risk of severe illness or death from infection • Healthcare‐associated infections, including bloodstream infections and surgical site infections, are common killers of persons with conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. • During the 2009–10 H1N1 influenza pandemic, pulmonary diseases such as asthma were found to increase the likelihood of severe illness or death from influenza. Other chronic disease risk factors for more severe H1N1 disease included neuromuscular conditions, diabetes, and obesity. CDC’s role CDC works to protect and improve the health of people in the United States and abroad through the prevention and control of disease. As part of these efforts, CDC provides leadership and technical expertise to public health and healthcare communities in • Conducting and facilitating the fundamental public health activities that protect populations and individuals from infectious diseases: disease surveillance, laboratory detection, and epidemiologic investigation • Responding rapidly to outbreaks and unusual health events, at home and around the globe • Increasing the understanding of infectious diseases, including factors contributing to transmission and disease progression. When new diseases emerge or the cause of an outbreak is unknown, state and local health departments and foreign ministries of health often call upon CDC because of the agency’s broad, collective knowledge of infectious threats. 4 | CDC ID Framework CDC is also expanding its role in helping healthcare and community partners increase their focus on prevention to improve health and reduce health‐related costs, in accordance with the 2010 Affordable Care Act and the National Prevention Strategy (2). These efforts include helping to monitor health outcomes, providing feedback on effective prevention practices, and offering support and guidance in establishing local prevention programs and improving outbreak response. In addition to traditional public health partners, CDC collaborates with other federal agencies and many other partners such as animal health organizations, schools and businesses, and law enforcement and other emergency response agencies to prevent and respond to infectious disease threats. These organizations play critical roles in enhancing local capacity to respond to unusual health events, including the emergence of new diseases or emergence of known diseases into new areas, the intentional spread of disease by terrorists, and the prevention and control of infectious diseases that arise following natural disasters. Partnerships and implementation The fulfillment of CDC’s vision of a strong, vigilant U.S. public health system—ready and able to prevent and control endemic diseases and respond to new and emerging threats—requires the sustained, coordinated, and complementary efforts of many individuals and groups. The ID Framework is designed to advance these efforts, optimally used in multiple capacities such as • Working with state and local health departments to sustain and upgrade public health fundamentals and address infectious disease issues of special concern (Box 3) • Providing assistance to healthcare partners in their efforts to eliminate HAIs in hospitals and other healthcare venues • Helping community leaders and businesses to improve local response readiness and promote community resilience during public health emergencies • Coordinating with other