HHS Unveils Health Security Strategy for Emergencies

The National Health Security Strategy also highlights specific actions that the nation—including individuals, communities, non-government organizations, and government agencies—should take to address public health threats.

Priorities for the federal government include improving the system for developing and delivering countermeasures—medications, vaccines, supplies, and equipment for health emergencies; coordinating across government and with communities to identify and prioritize the capabilities, research, and investments needed to achieve national health security; and evaluating the impact of these investments.

Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies, as well as medical, public health, and community-based organizations collaborated to develop the strategy and interim implementation guide. HHS also solicited direct input from non-federal participants during six regional workshops, and worked with the Institute of Medicine to engage the medical community.

The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act directed HHS to develop the National Health Security Strategy with an accompanying implementation plan by 2009 and to revise the documents every four years. HHS said it will update the implementation plan every two years to reflect advances in public health and medicine.