Which agency conducts surveillance to ensure clean drinking water, food, shelter, and medical care?

• A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• B. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• C. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• D. National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Answer: (A)

National public health surveillance and coordination of protective actions across health threats. The agency focused on monitoring health data nationwide to detect outbreaks, track trends, and organize rapid responses is the CDC. Its work includes watching for problems related to clean drinking water and food safety, as well as health conditions in shelters and during medical care in emergencies, so it serves as the central hub for preventing and controlling health threats across these areas. The FDA mainly regulates foods and medicines and performs some safety reviews but not broad population surveillance; the EPA focuses on environmental protection and water quality standards rather than ongoing health surveillance, and the NIH concentrates on biomedical research rather than routine public health monitoring.