Letter from Our Associate Director

Putting Communities First

Greetings,

As a trusted public health agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is pleased to announce the release of its 2020 annual report, Putting Communities First. During the year of 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presented unprecedented challenges around the world. Despite these challenges, we maintained our commitment to communities and to the nation to respond to environmental public health concerns and advance science. We fulfilled our congressionally mandated mission to protect the health of the American people.

I am proud of the work of our dedicated, resilient staff and our funded partners, who persevered through challenging times and circumstances. In addition to our continued work with communities, including tribal nations, ATSDR staff worked hand in hand to support our sister agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on COVID-19 emergency response efforts. In this report, you will learn how we put communities first and how our scientists remain at the forefront of new science-based research to advance environmental public health research about exposure to contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This report focuses on our current public health assessments, health surveillance and registries, emergency response efforts, health education and training, environmental justice work, and other activities — in 2020 and looking ahead to the future.

It is my pleasure to share some of ATSDR's many achievements in this annual report. We are excited about the work we do with our ongoing collaborations and partnerships as we continue to protect the health of the American public.

Sincerely,

Christopher M. Reh, Ph.D.
Associate Director
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)