Under the directive of the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled a novel Global Health Security Strategy. This initiative aims to fortify the United States' position as a leader in global health security.
"The United States must be in position to prevent, detect and respond to public health crises – including infectious disease threats at home and abroad. The Global Health Security Strategy does that. This strategy promotes a One Health approach – an approach that is collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary — and recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment as well as the importance of coordination across government, business and civil society," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "We are committed to contributing to the Pandemic Fund, including $700 million to date, addressing financing gaps and building stronger regional and global institutions that can drive innovation, offering reliable public health guidance, and implementing a rapid response to global health emergencies."
As per a White House news release, this measure will stimulate action across federal departments and agencies while rallying support from other countries, private sector entities, and civil society with an aim to enhance prevention measures against infectious diseases. It will also improve detection capabilities while responding effectively to recover from such threats. Recent outbreaks of diseases like monkeypox, Marburg, cholera along with the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the risks posed by health security threats on individuals, communities and nations.
"This strategy will strengthen our public health systems, prioritize the health of people around the globe and develop systems that can prevent, detect, and fight every kind of biological danger. Strengthening global health security is a national security priority, and is essential to protect the health, lives, and economic well-being of the American people," Becerra added. "These steps confirm that the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on the president’s commitment to protect the American people from the next pandemic."
As stated in a White House news release, the United States will lead the effort to allocate funds from countries worldwide to bolster global health. The federal government is hopeful that this measure will foster a safer world capable of mitigating future pandemics.
