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 risks 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.