The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the creation of the Center for Outbreak Analysis and Forecasting (CFA), which seeks to improve outbreak response through data modeling and analytics.
The CDC announced the launch of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA), which aims to improve the US government's ability to respond to future outbreaks of infectious diseases. Through data, models and analysis, they seek to have greater decision-making capacity in the face of public health threats.
The CFA's goal in improving response to disease outbreaks is to provide better information and support to decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels in the United States.
“This new center is an example of how we are modernizing the ways we prepare for and respond to threats to public health. I am proud of the work that has resulted from this group thus far and look forward to continued innovation in using data, modeling, and analytics to improve outbreak responses,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky. .
The CFA will focus on three main elements, prediction, information generation, and innovation. In this sense, they have begun to create outbreak analysis teams with experts in various disciplines, which will allow the development of scientific evidence for the production of disease trends. They have also brought together communication experts to be responsible for sharing information on a regular basis with officials at the three levels of government.
“The capabilities and equipment we are building at the new Center will improve decision-making in a health crisis,” explained Dr. Dylan George, CFA Director of Operations.
CDC awarded funding to academic institutions and partners at the federal level to advance the development of a specific methodology for modeling and forecasting. For example, in December 2021, experts from the now CFA worked with partners to assemble models anticipating the wave of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
Learn more at: http://www.cdc.gov/CFA
