HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released The National Health Security Strategy, the nation’s first comprehensive strategy focused on protecting patients’ health during a large-scale emergency. The strategy sets priorities for government and non-government activities over the next four years.
According to HHS, national health security means that the nation is prepared for, protected from, and resilient in the face of health threats or incidents with potentially negative health consequences such as bioterrorism and natural disasters. The strategy provides a framework for actions that will build community resilience, strengthen and sustain health emergency response systems, and fill current gaps.
The National Health Security Strategy and the accompanying interim implementation guide outline 10 objectives to achieve health security and highlight specific actions that the nation should take to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from health threats.
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.
To obtain a copy of the strategy and implementation guide, visit www.hhs.gov/disasters.
