United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-09-26 monographic deposited born digital 16 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-1257T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T P0b002ee18037da92 f:d071257t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T GAO-07-1257T Critical infrastructure Emergency management Emergency preparedness Emergency response plans Federal/state relations Homeland security Infectious diseases Influenza Pandemic Performance measures Program evaluation Public health Risk management Strategic planning Testimony A76748 An influenza pandemic is a real and significant potential threat facing the United States and the world. Pandemics are unlike other emergencies because they are not a singular event nor discretely bounded in space and time. This testimony addresses (1) federal leadership roles and responsibilities for preparing for and responding to a pandemic, (2) our assessment of the Strategy and Plan, and (3) opportunities to increase clarity of federal leadership roles and responsibilities and improve pandemic planning. GAO used its characteristics of an effective national strategy to assess the Strategy and Plan. The issues discussed in the testimony are based primarily on the GAO report, Influenza Pandemic: Further Efforts Are Needed to Ensure Clearer Federal Leadership Roles and an Effective National Strategy (GAO-07-781). In this report, GAO recommended that (1) The Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services develop rigorous testing, training, and exercises for pandemic influenza to ensure that federal leadership roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, understood and work effectively and (2) HSC set a time frame to update the Plan, involve key stakeholders, and more fully address the characteristics of an effective national strategy. The Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services concurred. The HSC did not comment. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T.pdf GAO-07-1257T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-1257T Testimony GAO-07-1257T; Influenza Pandemic: Opportunities Exist to Clarify Federal Leadership Roles and Improve Pandemic Planning; Critical infrastructure Emergency management Emergency preparedness Emergency response plans Federal/state relations Homeland security Infectious diseases Influenza Pandemic Performance measures Program evaluation Public health Risk management Strategic planning