Infectious Disease Society of America urges support for Global Health Security Agenda

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase its support of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

The GHSA, launched following the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2013, is focused on pandemic prevention. It helps countries meet international health regulations by strengthening laboratory and surveillance systems, training field epidemiologists, and addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. It is now comprised of 64 partner countries.

The GHSA met in Indonesia this week to commit to their next steps in improving epidemic readiness worldwide.

IDSA sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, urging the U.S. to increase its support for the GHSA to ensure that infectious disease outbreaks are detected, prevented, and controlled where they originate. Specifically, IDSA would like to see greater involvement by HHS in GHSA to combat antimicrobial resistance, increase immunization access, build health care workforces, and enhance capacities for medical countermeasures and personnel deployment in response to outbreaks.

“We strongly support all the work undertaken within the GHSA Framework and stand ready to provide our assistance in ongoing and future activities. As you prepare for the November GHSA Ministerial Meeting to solidify the 2024 GHSA framework, we urge you to advance opportunities to improve the GHSA and build upon recent progress,” wrote IDSA President Cynthia Sears in a letter to Azar.

IDSA represents more than 11,000 physicians, health care providers, and scientists devoted to patient care, prevention, public health, education, and research of infectious diseases.