As a national-level institution specialized in environment and health, the National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEH) serves as a national technical guidance center for environmental and health operations. NIEH, established in 2002, is a legal entity directly under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). Under the leaderships of the National Health Commission of the PRC and China CDC, NIEH owns the functional characters featured with the integration of four aspects, including disease control, emergency response, scientific research and education. NIEH dedicates to prevention and control of environmental pollution-related diseases, population health promotion, carrying out investigation, surveillance and scientific research on population exposure, health effects and health impacts of environmental risk factors, as well as disinfection and infection prevention. Moreover, NIEH plays a significant role in providing scientific and technical supports for the enactment of laws, regulations, policies, standards, specifications and plans, etc., related to environmental health as well as disinfection and infection control in China.

The principal functions and responsibilities of NIEH are summarized as follows:

1.To carry out environmental health works, and to provide technical supports and suggestions for the enactments of environmental health-related laws, regulations, policies, plans, and projects, etc.

2.To organize the formulation of the national environmental health-related technical plans, guidelines and specifications, and to formulate and revise related standards, to popularize environmental health knowledge, health education, and to promote health.

3.To carry out surveillance, investigation and scientific research in environmental health, to propose protection strategies and measure suggestions, and to construct and manage the environmental health databases and platform applications.

4.To participate in and supervise the health emergency responses and assessments of natural disasters, emerging environmental pollution, and severe epidemics, etc., and to evaluate the techniques of new products related to drinking water and new disinfection products.

5.To carry out scientific research, technology research and development and promotion related to environmental health, disinfection and infection control.

6.To provide environmental health related education, training and technical guidance for local CDCs.

7.To carry out international cooperation and exchanges on environmental health and to participate in relevant international assistance tasks.

8.To accomplish other tasks assigned by China CDC.