The NHSS acknowledges the interdependent relationship between national security, homeland
security, and national health security. Simply put, the health ofa nation’s people has a direct
impact on that nation’s security.
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Any large-scale incident suchas 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, healthcare and, more broadly, economic productivity
endangers the security and stability of that society. Conversely,a society that can accommodate
and function effectively during suchan incident is inherently more secure. Approaching this
relationship from the perspective ofsecurity, 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.