HIV/AIDS Glossary

The primary federal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) works closely with state and local governments, and many HHS-funded services are provided at the local level by state or county agencies, or through private sector grantees. The agency’s 11 operating divisions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), collectively administer more than 100 programs.