The NHSS acknowledges the interdependent relationship between national security, homeland
security, and national health security. Simply put, the health of a nation’s people has a direct
impact on that nation’s security.11 Any large-scale incident such as a natural disaster or an
infectious disease pandemic that affects the health of critical workers and compromises a
society’s ability to provide food, water, health care and, more broadly, economic productivity
endangers the security and stability of that society. Conversely, a society that can accommodate
and function effectively during such an incident is inherently more secure. Approaching this
relationship from the perspective of security, a breach to national security could negatively affect
the health of the Nation’s people. Prevention is a cornerstone to both health security and
national security.National health security supports national security and homeland security by focusing on
measures for preventing, protecting against, responding to, and recovering from the health
impact of myriad threats with potential consequences for health. Therefore, the NHSS is
intended to complement and support other national strategies and initiatives and the national
priorities, target capabilities, and Emergency Support Functions as defined in policies from the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It does so by defining the goals, strategic objectives,
and capabilities needed to address and respond to health threats and incidents with potentially
significant consequences. The Healthy People series12—the nation’s vision and plan for
achieving optimal health—also supports and contributes to the achievement of national health
security