LibGuides: *Health: General Research Guide: Websites/Statistics

Evaluating Web Resurces

The web can provide excellent resources for your topic, but if you are only using Google and Wikipedia to find information, you may not be finding all of the information that is available on you topic. If you are being asked to use scholarly resources use the resources you can find in the Cortland Memorial Library Catalog!

The Library of the University of Berkeley website provides a guide on how to "evaluate websites."

Government Agencies: International, National, State & Local

World Health Organization
WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
The Department of Health and Human Services is the principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans. It is comprised of the Office of the Secretary and 11 operating divisions. The agencies perform a wide variety of tasks and services, including research, public health, food and drug safety, grants and other funding, health insurance, and many others.
New York State Department of Health
New York State vital records, laws and regulations, insurance programs, long-term care, statistics and data, and more!
Cayuga County Health Department
Cortland County Health Department
Nassau County Department of Health
Suffolk County Health Department
Tompkins County Health Department

Other Useful Websites

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Mission: To lead efforts that promote health and well-being through prevention and control of chronic diseases. Provides Access to Statistics & Tracking, State Profiles, Chronic Disease Cost Calculator, Communication Campaigns, etc.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate arguments and debate policy.
Global health
A resource provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent health analysis organization focused on the major health issues facing Americans today as well as U.S. involvement in global health policy. Find health statistics, socioeconomic data, factsheets, and news on HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, polio, etc. Search by topic or country.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases aims to prevent disease, disability, and death caused by a wide range of infectious diseases. Focus: diseases that have been around for many years, emerging diseases (those that are new or just recently identified), and zoonotic diseases (those spread from animals to people).
National Center for Health Statistics
The mission of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is to provide statistical information that will guide actions and policies to improve the health of the American people.
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention maximizes public health and safety nationally and internationally through the elimination, prevention, and control of disease, disability, and death caused by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs and TB.
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
The mission of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) is the prevention of disease, disability, and death through immunization and by control of respiratory and related diseases.
NSF International
An independent, accredited organization that develops standards, as well as tests and certifies products and systems in order to protect and improve global human health
Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization is is an international public health agency working to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and as the health organization of the Inter-American System. It is known in Latin America as the OPS or OPAS.
Pew Research Center: Hispanic Trends
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. Hispanic Trends follows the rise of the Hispanic population nationwide and its impact in the United States.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.
The World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.

Divisions of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Administration for Children & Families
The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) is a division of the Department of Health & Human Services. ACF promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities. ACF includes programs such as the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration for Native Americans (ANA), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), and more.
Administration for Community Living
ACL brings together the efforts and achievements of the Administration on Aging, the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the HHS Office on Disability to serve as the Federal agency responsible for increasing access to community supports, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities across the lifespan.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
In examining what works and does not work in health care, AHRQ's mission includes both translating research findings into better patient care and providing policymakers and other health care leaders with information needed to make critical health care decisions.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. Access to information and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Ensures that Medicare-Medicaid enrollees have full access to seamless, high quality health care and to make the system as cost-effective as possible.
Food & Drugs Administration (FDA)
FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines more effective, safer, and more affordable and by helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to maintain and improve their health.
Finally, FDA plays a significant role in the Nation’s counterterrorism capability by ensuring the security of the food supply and by fostering development of medical products to respond to deliberate and naturally emerging public health threats.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
HRSA is the the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.
Indian Health Service
The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level. The IHS provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of 566 federally recognized Tribes across the U.S.
National Institutes of Health
NIH is the nation’s medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. They include the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute on Aging (NIA), etc.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

Worldwide Open Data Initiatives in Health by country

Through Freedom of Information Acts and other transparency initiatives, many governments worldwide are making public sector information available online. Here are some examples with health-related data.

United States (www.healthdata.gov)

This Health Data initiative is a federal government websites managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It contains datasets and large-scale public data on various health organizations and initiatives.