Efforts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prepare for and respond to increasing public health threats in a global society

The advent of globalization has increased the ease and speed at which people and goods can move around the world. However, it has also made it easier and faster for public health threat agents, whether they are accidental, intentional, or natural, to move across boarders and adversely affect public health. The speed at which Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) moved from Asia to North America in 2003 is one such example from this decade. Many efforts are underway throughout the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as in the private sector, to ensure that the country is prepared for and ready to respond to a wide-array of public health emergencies. This presentation will provide an overview of some activities currently underway at HHS component divisions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).