International Infectious Disease Emergencies and Domestic Implications for the Public Health and Health Care Sectors—Workshop in Brief
IOM Report
July 7, 2015 :: 11 pages
Overview
Emerging infectious disease events present a threat to U.S. national security, and we need improved efforts to coordinate a response both domestically and with global partners. The most recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa is the largest to date, affecting multiple countries simultaneously and once again bringing the challenges of global health security to the forefront of international preparedness discussions. The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events organized a session at the 2015 Preparedness Summit to discuss international public health emergencies, such as Ebola, and their corresponding impact on state and local public health and health care systems. After briefing the audience on the World Health Organization’s 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) launched in 2014, speakers discussed their experiences during the Ebola outbreak in the United States and as it was unfolding in West Africa. They also discussed remaining challenges and explored ways to effectively respond the next time a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) arises.