In the event of an emergency on the national level, the federal government of the United States has instituted a National Health Security Strategy. Whether the vector that precipitates the state of emergency is natural or man-made, this adaptive plan is designed to accomplish several goals. First and foremost, it acts to ensure the continued health of the national populace against agents of disease, warfare, or natural disaster. The article below analyzes and explores the features of this federal strategy for those who wish to understand the national state of preparedness.
Preparedness on Several Levels
While the National Health Security Strategy does incorporate reactive aspects, such as maintaining trained personnel in areas of trauma care and disease studies, it’s much more than that. It also proposes to ensure public safety with the help of the population itself. Through locally implemented forms of the plan, the national government works to educate the public on techniques, activities, and skills that will save lives in their own area.
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Because situations and factors change, the federal government designs strategies slated to run for four years at a time. The current plan is dated for years 2015-2018, and addresses concerns such as climatic shift-driven weather patterns, international political tensions, and new understandings of disease vectors. As stated by the federal resources responsible for the plan, it is designed “based on sound evidence” and motivated by a common vision to improve and ensure the continued health of the national population at every level.
Major Objectives
Drawing from the government source, the Strategy has five major objectives. In brief, they are:
• To build and sustain healtthy, resilient communities: In this most vital objective, the NHSS outlines its focus on community connectedness as the most effective tool to ensure overall health of the national population. Through programs and resources enacted at the local level, each community will learn to use knowledge, skills, and materials to best ensure that all members are healthy. In the event of an emergency, they will also set in motion locally designed strategies to cope with injuries, illnesses, and damage to property.
• To enhance the ability national capability to produce and effectively use medical countermeasures and non-pharmaceutical interventions. This objective focuses on specialized training, dissemination of information, and materials introduction to communities in the event of a natural, biological, chemical, or nuclear disaster.
• Ensuring comprehensive situational awareness: this objective relates to the decision-making required during and after a major disaster. This pertains both to national-level reactions and local policy implementation, and is primarily stated to ensure clear lines of communications between all levels of government in the event of an emergency.
• Enhance the integration of public health, healthcare, and emergency management systems: This objective is instituted primarily to maintain a smooth working relationship between healthcare providers, program managers, and emergency resource personnel on a routine basis. In preparedness for a large-scale need, these groups should work together seamlessly.
• Strengthen global health security: This objective speaks to the national need to look beyond its borders in a proactive fashion. Large scale disasters or health crises in other parts of the world can destabilize the international political and economic realms, which has, in turn, an adverse impact on the overall health and well-being of the citizens of the United States.
These objectives act as a general framework, around which policy and procedure are crafted. Every four years the report known as National Health Security Review serves as a forum to evaluate existing measures and recommend changes to policy based on current health needs. With the assistance of agencies such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC), communities institute measures on a local level. The interconnected nature of the National Health Security Strategy is its strength, ensuring effective communication between agencies and communities across the nation.
