The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) is a collaborative effort among several nations and organizations focused on strengthening global health security. Established in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks, its primary goal is to prepare for and address

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

risks related biological, chemical, nuclear terrorism, or

pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...

s. The initiative includes members from North America, Europe, and Asia, with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

participating as an observer.

History

The idea on which the Global Health Security Initiative is based was suggested by then US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, after the World Trade Center attacks on 11 September 2001. He proposed that countries fighting

bioterrorism Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents include bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, and/or their toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in mu ...

should collaborate, share information, and coordinate their efforts in order to best protect

global health Global health is the health of populations in a worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problems th ...

. GHSI was launched in November 2001 by Canada (who hosted the first meeting in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

), the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) would act as observer to the GHSI. The ministers agreed on eight areas in which the partnership could collaborate in order to "strengthen public health preparedness and response to the threat of international biological, chemical and radio-nuclear terrorism." In December 2002, at a meeting in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, the Ministers broadened the scope of the mandate to include the public health threat posed by pandemic

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

Aims and scope

GHSI states that its mandate is "to undertake concerted global action to strengthen public health preparedness and response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as pandemic influenza," including intentional, accidental, and naturally occurring events.

Organization

The Global Health Security Action Group (GHSAG) is made up of senior officials from each member country. The GHSI Secretariat organises, manages, and administers meetings and committees and sets priorities. Various technical and scientific working groups focus on specific areas of knowledge. Current working groups include: * Chemical Events Working Group: focuses on the risk prioritization of chemicals, the identification of research needs and best practices in the area of medical countermeasures, as well as other cross-hazard projects such as early alerting and reporting. * Biological Working Group: focuses on addressing existing gaps and research and development needs required for GHSI member countries to prepare for and respond to biological threats, excluding pandemic influenza and other respiratory viruses of pandemic potential. * Laboratory Network: focuses on promoting quality assurance in diagnostics, flexibility and adaptability of techniques and technologies, and addressing issues regarding transport of specimens. * Radio-Nuclear Threats Working Group: focuses on collaboration with other radiation protection and nuclear safety authorities on emergency preparedness, undertakes projects in areas such as countermeasures and laboratory mapping, and serves as an informal communication network during emergencies. * Pandemic Influenza Working Group: focuses on sharing and comparing respective national approaches to pandemic preparedness, including vaccine and anti-viral stockpiling and use, surveillance and epidemiology, diagnostics, and public health measures.

Research

GHSI conducts research and collaborates to address global health security concerns. Some of the research GHSI has been involved in includes: * Research on mass casualties since the release of Opioids: The GHSI participated in research to explore the significant health threats linked to the increasing availability of synthetic opioids. The research highlights the dual risks of these substances contributing to mass casualty incidents, either through unintentional overdose or intentional misuse as weapons. In response to these challenges, the GHSI Chemical Events Working Group organized a workshop in 2018 to evaluate the current state of preparedness for handling large-scale incidents involving Opioids. * Development of SCRIPT: Screening Categorization Risk Prioritization Tool (SCRIPT) is designed to assess public health risks associated with the release of airborne chemicals.

References

Sources

External links

Working Together to Counter Global Health Threats
Event featuring Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at the Woodrow Wilson Center in October 2007. {{Bioterrorism Public health organizations Nuclear warfare Biological warfare Chemical warfare International medical and health organizations International organizations based in Canada Radiation protection organizations