President Donald J. Trump is Strengthening America’s Biodefense

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Category: News

Washington, DC - "We must protect the American people, the homeland, and our great American way of life." ~ President Donald J. Trump

NATIONAL BIODEFENSE STRATEGY: President Donald J. Trump is directing the implementation of a National Biodefense Strategy to more effectively prepare for and combat biological threats.

  • Strengthening our biodefense will better protect the American people, our homeland, and the welfare of our citizens.
  • President Trump’s National Biodefense Strategy will lead to a more efficient, coordinated, and accountable biodefense enterprise.
  • The biodefense National Security Presidential Memorandum names the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, as the Federal lead for biodefense and establishes a Cabinet-level Biodefense Steering Committee.
  • The National Security Presidential Memorandum will create a new mechanism for coordinating the full range of biodefense activities and budget resources across the Government.
    • Until now, agencies have had disparate programs that were not centrally coordinated.
    • Enhancing coordination will enable government to better anticipate, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological disasters.

IMPLEMENTING AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH: President Trump’s National Biodefense Strategy takes a unique approach to countering the full range of biological threats.

  • The Trump Administration is changing the Government’s biodefense approach to adapt to the complex, evolving nature of biological threats.
  • President Trump’s Strategy is the first of its kind to address the full range of biological threats, including those that are naturally occurring, deliberate, and accidental.
  • The National Biodefense Strategy sets up a process to assess our capabilities and to prioritize biodefense resources and actions across the Government.
  • For the first time, the Government will be comprehensively evaluating biodefense needs and monitoring implementation of the National Biodefense Strategy on an ongoing basis.
    • This annual process will ensure that the Administration stays nimble and can counter the rapidly changing landscape of biological threats.
  • The Administration will take steps to understand new biological threats as they arise, and respond to them effectively and efficiently.

COUNTERING BIOLOGICAL THREATS: The Trump Administration is taking measures to protect the American people from biological threats.

  • Biological threats are a distinct aspect of national security.
  • Biological threats arise from many sources and require a deliberate and systematic approach to reduce their risks.
  • Biological threats know no borders and have the potential to disrupt the economy, and impact travel and trade.
  • The National Biodefense Strategy builds on lessons learned from past biological incidents to develop a more resilient and effective biodefense enterprise.
    • Past incidents such as the 2001 anthrax attacks, the 2009 influenza pandemic, the 2014 Ebola epidemic, and the Zika epidemic helped inform this strategy.