The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is the state's primary health agency. With approximately 2,700 employees, ADPH is one of the largest state agencies. ADPH aims to provide public health "services for the improvement and protection of the public’s health through disease prevention and the assurance of public health services to resident and transient populations of the state regardless of social circumstances or the ability to pay."
The ADPH Central Office, located in the state’s capital city, Montgomery, Alabama, is organized into offices, bureaus, divisions, and units. The Department divides the state of Alabama into 6 Public Health Districts. A District Health Officer or District Administrator oversees each Public Health District Office. District offices are responsible for developing public health services and programs specific to the needs of each area. The Department provides technical support and guidance to county health departments in all Alabama counties and guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Jefferson County, Alabama, and Mobile County, Alabama.