The US plans to double the number of countries it supports to prevent infectious disease outbreaks, opting for bilateral agreements with at least 100 countries, according to its new Global Health Security Strategy (GHSS).
“Recent outbreaks, from mpox to Marburg, cholera, and other diseases… are wake-up calls for anyone who thought COVID was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Dr Stephanie Psaki, US Coordinator for Global Health Security.
“US national security and prosperity depend on countries around the world being prepared to prevent outbreaks when possible, and to rapidly detect and respond to emerging infectious-disease threats when they occur,” added Psaki, who is also White House National Security Council’s Deputy Senior Director for Global Health and Biodefense.
“Global health and community health are all interconnected,” remarked Dr Michelle A Williams, former dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health. “A threat anywhere is a threat everywhere when a pathogen can travel anywhere in the world in 72 hours.”
New roadmap
The GHSS provides a roadmap for strengthening US preparedness for future pandemics and biological threats through expanded global health partnerships.
The plan will extend US commitments to an additional 50 countries to help protect themselves against outbreaks and pandemic, which will double the countries the US currently supports on public health.