President Joe Biden expressed his pride in announcing the release of a new Global Health Security Strategy by his Administration. The strategy outlines the actions that the United States will undertake in the next five years to proactively prevent, detect, and respond effectively to biological threats, regardless of where they may arise. The statement was shared by the White House.
“Today, I am proud to announce that my administration is releasing a new Global Health Security Strategy, outlining actions the United States will take over the next five years to prevent, detect, and effectively respond to biological threats, wherever they emerge,” Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Monday.
As part of the effort, the US will provide assistance and knowledge to countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, targeted at improving preparedness, detection, and response to potential outbreaks.
The US State Department, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will all participate.
According to a White House information sheet, the new policy will expand the administration’s “global health security partnerships” from 19 to 50 countries.
“In a health emergency, countries need to be able to quickly access financing to fortify their health systems, procure medical countermeasures, and launch an effective response,” the statement stated.
The United States, as the world’s largest investor in health security, will work with countries and important organizations “to identify and strengthen solutions to enhance access to financing for pandemic preparedness and response,” according to the statement.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC, stated that her agency is ready.
“Global health security is national security, and the CDC is proud to contribute its expertise, investments, and rapid response to protect the health and safety of the American people and the world,” Cohen stated in an agency news release announcing the effort. “CDC’s decades of global health investments, training, and scientific diplomacy strengthen global capacity in labs, data, emergency response, and the public health workforce.”
According to the Associated Press, the White House project might help overcome a significant gap in global pandemic preparedness. Attempts to get all 194 World Health Organization member states to sign a pandemic pact have stagnated.
