Abstract: Epidemiology capacity serves as a critical foundation for the disease control system in fulfilling its core duties such as disease surveillance, early warning, and public health interventions. The epidemiology capacity assessment (ECA) program, launched in 1995 by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, has developed into a dynamically adjustable evaluation system over nearly three decades. This paper systematically summarizes the background of the ECA program, the iterative optimization of its assessment tools, and the key findings and policy recommendations from successive surveys. The ECA program conducts periodic assessments across dimensions such as core epidemiology capacities, workforce development, and technical support, providing a scientific basis for state-level public health agencies in the United States to identify capacity gaps, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen talent cultivation. Drawing the ECA experience and aligning with the six specialized capacities of the disease control system in China, this paper suggests a preliminary localized evaluation framework from two dimensions, i.e. workforce competence and institutional support, to inform epidemiological capacity building for CDCs in China.