Washington Post: Our lack of pandemic preparedness could prove deadly Tom Inglesby, director, and Eric Toner, senior scholar, both at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security “…Nature continues to create serious biological threats, with the possibility of a deadly new pandemic influenza perhaps the most worrying. Far less recognized,…

CIDRAP News: White House shines high-level spotlight on biodefense “The Trump administration [on Tuesday] released a new National Biodefense Strategy, along with an order from President Donald Trump that directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take the coordinating lead and establishes a cabinet-level biodefense steering committee…” (Schnirring,…

HHS Blog: National Biodefense Strategy: Protect the Nation Against all Biological Threats HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Robert P. Kadlec discusses the Trump administration’s new National Biodefense Strategy, which includes a “range of coordinated actions to counter biothreats, reduce risks, and prepare for, respond to, and recover from…

Devex: USAID adopts a hard line on China’s development approach “Trump administration development leaders are not mincing words when it comes to positioning the United States Agency for International Development as a key player in the battle with China for influence in developing countries and emerging markets. … Three years…

Daily Post: Why Nigerian govt must spend more on health — U.S. Ambassador “The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, has urged the federal government to continue to invest in building resilient health systems for the citizens. Doing so, he argued, would not only safeguard the people but also…

The Lancet: Addressing the fragmentation of global health: the Lancet Commission on synergies between universal health coverage, health security, and health promotion Gorik Ooms, professor in the Department of Global Health and Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and colleagues “Global health is fragmented. Many stakeholders…

CNN: The decline in virus sample sharing is not just about China Thomas J. Bollyky and David P. Fidler, fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations “…Urgent action is needed to rejuvenate the global mechanism designed to ensure the sharing of influenza samples and to support pandemic preparedness. … [The…

Reuters: Two health scares at U.S. airports tied to Mecca pilgrims: U.S. officials “Two major health scares at U.S. airports involving inbound flights are related to pilgrims returning from the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which ended in late August, U.S. health officials…

CDC’s “Our Global Voices”: Rapid Detection Accelerates India’s Response to Nipah Outbreak Kayla Laserson, director of CDC India, discusses India’s response to a recent Nipah outbreak and notes, “India’s commitment to [the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)] and enhanced detection and response represent a significant gain in the world’s ability…

STAT: Securing the U.S. from its most dangerous invader: infectious disease Ashley Arabasadi, health security policy adviser at Management Sciences for Health “…[W]hat investments must we make to keep America — and the world — safe from infectious disease epidemics? First, it’s imperative to continue funding the overseas operations of…