The National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) is the first comprehensive strategy focusing
specifically on the Nation’s goals of protecting people’s health in the case of an emergency. The
purpose of the NHSS is to guide the Nation’s efforts to minimize the risks6 associated with a
wide range of potential large-scale incidents that put the health and well-being of the Nation’s
people at risk, whether at home, in the workplace, or in any other setting. In this context,
national health security is achieved when the Nation and its people are prepared for, protected
from, respond effectively to, and able to recover from incidents with potentially negative health
consequences.The NHSS is a national—not just federal—strategy, and therefore it requires the commitment of
a broad range of stakeholders: all levels of government, as well as individuals, families, and
communities (including the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and the academic
and research sectors).7 Although the active and ongoing participation of the Nation’s people is
necessary to achieve national health security, it is neither reasonable nor realistic to expect that
individuals, families, and communities can execute on their own all required actions to prevent,
protect against, respond to, and rapidly recover from an incident. It is the responsibility of local,
state, territorial, tribal, and federal governments to provide guidance and facilitate collaboration
and coordination among individuals, families, and communities, including the private sector, to
implement strategies to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from an incident.
Healthy People 20108 describes the relationships among these entities: While individuals are
ultimately responsible for their own actions, their behavior is heavily influenced by the
communities and neighborhoods in which they live. Policies and investments at the local, state,
territorial, tribal, and federal levels guide and facilitate actions that all stakeholders must take to
improve health, including preparedness for large-scale health incidents. Further, access to
needed and appropriate health care is critical to improving and protecting the health of the
Nation’s people.
Thus, the NHSS calls for active collaboration and coordination among individuals, families, and
communities (including private-sector and all governmental, non-governmental, and academic
organizations) to implement strategies to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from
any type of large-scale incident having health consequences. 9 Achieving national health
security also requires better coordination between the health system and the emergency response
system; ultimately, these systems need to work together as part of one integrated national health
security system. Further, national health security also requires acknowledgment of our N
interdependence with other countries on a global level.
ation’s