Preparedness

Goal

Improve the Nation's ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a major health incident.

Overview

Preparedness involves Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, communities, and individuals working together to improve the Nation's ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a major health incident. The Healthy People 2020 objectives for preparedness are based on a set of national priorities articulated in the National Health Security Strategy of the United States of America (NHSS). The overarching goals of NHSS are to build community resilience and to strengthen and sustain health and emergency response systems.

To reach these goals, NHSS identifies the following objectives for urgent, focused attention:

• Foster informed, empowered individuals and communities.
• Develop and maintain the workforce needed for national health security.
• Ensure situational awareness.
• Foster integrated, scalable health care delivery systems.
• Ensure timely and effective communications.
• Promote an effective countermeasure enterprise.
• Ensure prevention or mitigation of environmental and other emerging threats to health.
• Incorporate postincident health recovery into planning and response.
• Work with cross-border and global partners to enhance national, continental, and global health security.
• Ensure that all systems that support national health security are based on the best available science, evaluation, and quality improvement.

Why is Preparedness Important?

The United States, like all countries, faces many threats with the potential for large-scale health consequences, including disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. The public health, health care, and emergency response systems must be prepared to mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with these threats. Securing the Nation's health is a formidable task, and it is a shared responsibility for virtually all parts of society.

Additional Resources

HP2020's National Objectives for Preparedness

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2020. Washington, DC. Available at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=34. Accessed May 28, 2012.

Objectives

Download all Preparedness Objectives