This evidence-informed checklist outlines action steps for medical and public health authorities, in partnership with nongovernmental organizations and private industry, to assess and strengthen the resilience of their community's health sector in the face of Ebola or other high-consequence infectious diseases.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the 2017 Update to the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan to highlight and build upon the successes of the last decade, and make clear the additional efforts needed to improve pandemic preparedness. The capacity and capabilities developed for pandemic influenza preparedness will enable HHS to respond more effectively to other emerging infectious diseases.
This handbook was developed to facilitate the use of resources and maximize communication and interaction among law enforcement and public health. This effort minimizes potential barriers during a biological threat response.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) recently published its newest Counter Improvised Explosive Device (Counter-IED) Resources Guide. The mission of the OBP is to protect life and critical infrastructure by building capabilities within the public population and across the public and private sectors to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate bombing incidents.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Chemical and Biological Defense Program Enterprise develops and acquires capabilities that allow the Joint Force to deter, prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) threats and effects within a layered and integrated defense. This report assesses DoD’s overall readiness to fight and win in a CB warfare environment.
Filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) are highly contagious pathogens, which cause severe and often fatal illness in humans. Health workers are at increased risk of infection because of their close and prolonged contact with severely ill patients with a high viral load. The risk of transmission of Ebola virus can be reduced if appropriate measures are taken, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee to identify global health priorities in light of current and emerging global health threats and challenges. The resulting report provides recommendations to the U.S. government and other stakeholders for increasing responsiveness, coordination, and efficiency in addressing these threats and challenges by establishing priorities and mobilizing resources.
The Secure Schools Alliance Research and Education organization has released the second brief in its new toolkit for K-12 learning institutions and law enforcement – Securing Our Schools – entitled, “Partner Roles and Responsibilities for Securing Our Schools.” This brief discusses school preparedness, threats facing schools, and the critical roles that all segments of the community have in securing schools.
Released by the World Health Organization (WHO), A Strategic Framework for Emergency Preparedness is a unifying framework that identifies the principles and elements of effective emergency health preparedness. It adopts the major lessons of previous initiatives and lays out the planning and implementation process by which countries can determine their priorities and develop or strengthen their operational capacities.
In his statement to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Daniel R. Coats, director of national intelligence, offers his assessment of threats to U.S. national security. Some key threats discussed include cyberthreats, emerging and disruptive technologies, and weapons of mass destruction.
