The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced actions the department will take following National Security Memorandum 15, signed by President Biden, directing implementation of the 2022 National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan for Countering Biological Threats, Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness, and Achieving Global Health Security.
The strategy and implementation plan detail a coordinated approach to address the challenges from naturally occurring, deliberate, and accidental biological threats. These threats are among the most serious threats facing the U.S. and the international community. The 2022 strategy builds on the 2018 National Biodefense Strategy, incorporating lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and laying out a comprehensive implementation plan with bold, concrete actions to transform our health security.
HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will lead the implementation of a range of actions in the National Biodefense Strategy and its implementation plan, which integrates elements of the American Pandemic Preparedness: Transforming Our Capabilities.
Examples of HHS efforts to support implementation of the National Biodefense Strategy include:
- Strengthening early warning and awareness of pandemics and biological threats
- Enhancing diagnostic capabilities
- Enhancing vaccine and therapeutic capabilities
- Expanding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) surge capacity
- Strengthening the public health workforce
- Build innovative clinical-trial infrastructure
