Global Health Security

Description

Global Health Security programs work to strengthen global and partner country capacity to detect, prevent, respond to, and help stop emerging infectious disease outbreaks at their source before they become deadly and costly pandemics.

Use of Funds

Global Health Security funding builds sustained capacity in partner countries to detect and prevent outbreaks. This includes support for emergency operation centers, improving disease surveillance and laboratory capacities, and strengthening the development of local public health workforces. Funds also support the deployment of U.S. disease experts and aid workers to support training, emergency response, and research and development for new tools and technologies.

Justification

• “The last two decades have seen major global outbreaks of infectious diseases every four to five years”—SARS, H1N1, MERS, and COVID-19—in addition to the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic and Ebola threats.
• “ 75% of epidemic-prone infectious disease threats originate from animals,” due to the increase in contact between wildlife, livestock, and people.
• With the pace of emerging infectious disease accelerating to 6.7% annually, the yearly probability of large outbreaks occurring could increase threefold in the coming decades. Zoonotic spillover accounts for about three-quarters of new and emerging infectious diseases.
• Investing in global health security is a cost-effective way to protect lives, safeguard livelihoods, and safeguard communities. Strategies aimed at reducing the risk of any epidemic by half would save 1.6 million lives per year and reduce mortality costs by $10 trillion.