US unveils strategy to detect and respond to health security threats globally

The US government has come up with a first of its kind strategy to prevent, detect and respond to threats from infectious diseases occurring naturally or accidentally, in an effort to help improve the world's ability to stop and contain deadly outbreaks before they spread between countries.

The Global Health Security Strategy, unveiled on Thursday, defines the actions the administration will take by adopting a whole-of-government approach to health security and leveraging the strengths of different federal departments, agencies and funding streams, the White House said.

Our National Security Strategy specifically identifies combatting biological threats and pandemics as a cornerstone of national security. Biological threats, like infectious disease outbreaks, are a national security priority for the United States government, a senior administration official told reporters after the strategy was released by the White House.

The strategy outlines a coordinated US approach that focuses ..