The 20th century was a time of great improvements in public health. The American medical community made impressive strides in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.Vaccinations were developed to prevent many infectious diseases, and antibiotics controlled the bacterial infections that had previously made injuries, surgery, childbirth, and childhood diseases so deadly.

On the other hand, the American public also became more aware of the relationship between disease and personal behavior.Since the U.S. surgeon general first warned Americans about the dangers of smoking in 1964, the percentage of Americans who smoke has declined from almost 50 percent to approximately 25 percent. Smoking is no longer permitted in public buildings or on trains, buses or airplanes traveling within the United States. Most American restaurants are also divided into areas where smoking is permitted and those where it is not. Studies have linked a significant drop in the rate of lung cancer to a nationwide decline in cigarette smoking.

The federal government also encourages Americans to exercise regularly and to eat healthful diets, including large quantities of fruits and vegetables. More than 40 percent of Americans today exercise or play a sport as part of their regular routine. The per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased by about 20 percent since 1970.

• The Transforming Power of Medical Biotechnology DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Oct. 2005
• Plant Biotechnology: Advances in Food, Energy, and Health DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Oct. 2005
• Growing Up Healthy DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Jan. 2005
• The Global Epidemic of Obesity DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Jan. 2005

• National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information NCBI creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information
• Biomedical Research & Informatics
• MedlinePlus Health information from the National Library of Medicine. Easy access to Medline and Health topics, medical dictionaries, directories and publications.
• MedlinePlus - Current Health News
• National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) The National Network of Libraries of Medicine is dedicated to making the world's biomedical information available throughout the U.S.
• National Nanotechnology Initiative
• Medical Biotechnology Center
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) The Combined Health Information Database contains information on alternative medicine research not available in other government databases.
• Disease Prevention
• Eliminating Health Disparities
• Public Health Preparedness
• Improving Health Literacy
• Organ Donation
• Children and Healthy Choices: "50 Schools in 50 States" Initiative
• Bone Health and Osteoporosis
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Global Health Council: Child Health
• http://www.globalhealth.org/
• KidsHealth
• President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
• Prevention Institute: Children and Youth
• The CDC National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Preventing AIDS: An Investment in Global Prosperity DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Oct. 2005
• Health Care for HIV/AIDS and other Diseases DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, Oct. 2005
• AIDS Knowledge Base This 1999 textbook on HIV disease in adults is from the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco General Hospital.
• Protecting Youth From AIDS in the Developing World The U.S. Agency for International Development sponsors several programs dealing with health and lifestyle that enable youngsters to better protect themselves from HIV infection.

• The Body: An AIDS and HIV Information Resource This service of the Body Health Resources Corporation is sponsored in part by several pharmaceutical companies, and provides information in over 250 topical areas.
• CDC Network The National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) is a reference, referral, and distribution service for information on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis, sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Guide to NIH HIV/AIDS Information Services Prepared by the National Library of Medicine, this is a guide to the many HIV/AIDS programs of the National Institutes of Health, with selected public health service activities
• HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base The data base is updated twice a year.
• HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS) Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ATIS provides information in English and Spanish about federally approved treatment guidelines for HIV and AIDS.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse The Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) provides information on AIDS vaccine research, clinical trials, and DAIDS-supported programs.
• AIDSInfo A central resource for current information on clinical trials for AIDS patients, federally approved HIV treatment and prevention guidelines.