Introduction
National Health Security Strategy (NHSS), 2023-2026
The United States continues to face diverse and ever-changing health security threats. Public health emergencies such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, extreme weather events, the emergence and re-emergence of other infectious disease outbreaks, and gun violence have further exposed challenges in national security infrastructure and underscored the need for adaptable, reliable, and resilient health care, responsive scientific and medical research, and public health systems that enable effective response and recovery operations. Achieving health security requires a collective effort from health care, public health, biomedical research, emergency management, and animal, plant, and environmental health partners, including the federal government, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, regional entities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and communities.
The nation’s health security threats are significant and wide-ranging. Risks such as newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, climate change, cyberattacks on health infrastructure, domestic and international terrorism and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats all have the potential to significantly disrupt and strain health care and public health (HPH) services. The United States must continue to strengthen domestic and global information sharing, cooperation, and surveillance capabilities to rapidly detect threats and launch an effective response. The nation must also expand HPH infrastructure capacity, including the workforce, supply chain, and ability to develop medical countermeasures (MCMs) on an accelerated timeline. Furthermore, these capabilities need to remain adaptable to effectively combat any the of the potential threats being encountered.
The
National Health Security Strategy (NHSS), 2023-2026 provides a whole-of-nation approach to prepare for, protect from, respond to, and recover from the adverse health effects of public health emergencies and disasters. The NHSS promotes capability-based improvements to strengthen and adapt health care, public health, and emergency preparedness and response no matter the threat, and focuses on meeting the needs of at-risk individuals[a] and underserved communities.[b]
In addition to the
NHSS, 2023-2026, the
NHSS, 2023-2026 Implementation Plan forwards a framework to guide federal action and recommend implementation activities for SLTT partners, private industry, and communities. The
NHSS Evaluation of Progress, 2019-2022 captures progress made by federal entities between 2019 and 2022, as well as their activities with SLTT partners, and the private sector, to meet the objectives of the 2019-2022 NHSS. The statutory requirements for these documents are detailed in
Appendix A.
NHSS VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
VISION
The nation works collaboratively across sectors to be secure, resilient, and adaptive in the face of emerging and evolving health security threats.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Partnerships
Inclusive and
strategic relationships with domestic and
global partners
should be pursued
to bring together the best minds
and resources to
advance health
security capabilities.
Innovation
The United States should foster an evidence-based, innovative
environment to
enable adaptive and nimble tools to
protect the nation
from health threats.
Equity
Health security solutions should be adapted to meet
an array of community-specific needs and to advance health
equity.
Integrity
Health care and
public health
decisions and communications
should be
transparent
and based on the best available
science and data.
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a “At-risk individuals” means children, pregnant individuals, older adults and other individuals who may have access and functional needs during a public health emergency.
b According to Executive Order 13985, underserved communities refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, such as: Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. Moreover, the HHS Equity Action Plan, issued pursuant to Executive Order 13985, identifies the need to provide language access services to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) as necessary in order to achieve equity in the provision of federally funded health programs and services.
