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TFAH Report Finds Emerging Infectious Diseases a Threat to U.S. National Security

By Crystal Franco, November 3, 2008

On October 29, 2008, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released a report titled Germs Go Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America. The report examines factors contributing to the rising threat of infectious diseases, including globalization, drug resistance, and climate change, and concludes that U.S. “defenses against emerging infectious diseases are insufficient, creating serious consequences for the U.S. health system, economy, and national security.”¹

According to TFAH, approximately 170,000 Americans die each year as a result of infection with a newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, and worldwide, infectious diseases are the leading cause of death in children and a top killer of adults. TFAH suggests that these infectious threats can be classified into 5 categories:

1. Newly emerging diseases (eg, SARS),
2. Re-emerging diseases (eg, measles),
3. “Neglected” diseases (eg, dengue),
4. Potential bioterrorism agents (eg, smallpox or anthrax), and
5. Drug-resistant pathogens (eg, TB or malaria).¹

 
TFAH argues that infectious diseases will pose an increasing global health and security threat that could endanger Americans both at home and abroad. Efforts made by the U.S. government to invest in research and production of drugs and vaccines against potential bioterrorism agents and pandemic influenza are key and have positive implications for other emerging infectious diseases. However, TFAH emphasizes that “response to emerging, re-emerging, and deliberately-introduced infectious diseases requires a well-funded federal effort; coordination with international initiatives; and incentives that stimulate breakthroughs in research, surveillance, next-generation diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.” In order for this to occur, TFAH suggests that U.S. leaders and policymakers begin to consider funding for infectious disease public health and research initiatives a “national health imperative” rather than just an “international good-will gesture.”¹

References

1. Germs Go Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America. Washington, DC: Trust for America’s Health; October 29, 2008. http://healthyamericans.org/assets/files/GermsGoGlobal.pdf. Accessed November 3, 2008.