Fact Sheet - President Donald J. Trump is Protecting the Homeland and the World from Global Health Security Threats

PROTECTING AGAINST GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY THREATS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to protect America and our partners from infectious disease threats.

• Today, the Trump Administration is releasing its Global Health Security Strategy (Strategy), the first full-fledged strategy of its kind.
• The Strategy defines the actions the Administration will take to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate.
• The Strategy adopts a whole-of-government approach to health security by leveraging the strengths of many different Federal departments, agencies, and funding streams.
• Combating biological threats and pandemics are a cornerstone of President Donald J. Trump's National Security Strategy.
  • President Trump released the National Biodefense Strategy in September 2018 to prepare for and combat biological threats.

STRENGTHENING GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY CAPACITIES: The United States is working to help ensure that partner countries can respond to health security threats.

• The United States is working with international partners to help improve the world's ability to stop and contain infectious disease outbreaks before they spread between countries.
• Under our new Strategy, the United States will work to ensure that every partner country has a plan to achieve self-reliance in the critical area of health security.
• The Administration strongly supports the Global Health Security Agenda as a mechanism to accelerate progress addressing infectious disease threats.
  • Nations, international organizations, and the private sector established the Global Health Security Agenda, laying out specific targets to reduce infectious disease threats.
  • The Global Health Security Agenda was first launched in 2014 and re-affirmed in 2018.
• The United States supports the use of the World Health Organization's Joint External Evaluation process to help implement the International Health Regulations.
  • Using this process, the United States will assist our international partners to help improve their performance in priority areas.
• We will encourage countries to strengthen their technical capacities and will support select partner countries in areas such as emergency preparedness and disease surveillance.

INCREASING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT: The United States is creating a safer world by utilizing collective global action to combat global health security threats.

• Under this Strategy, the United States will use bilateral, regional, and multilateral engagements to encourage countries to make health security a national priority.
• The United States will coordinate with partner governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to promote sustainable financing to build health security capacity.
  • The United States will push for a transparent and accountable framework to encourage donors and countries to fulfill their financial commitments to global health security.
• By increasing international support, we will be able to enhance preparedness and response mechanisms to combat infectious diseases at home and abroad.

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