Q: The theme of this issue explores scientific beaten
collaboration
path�
and
why
“off
the
this
is
essential to advancing science and global health in particular. How important partnerships
are in
collaborative meeting
this
agenda?
A: Global Health security cannot be achieved by countries acting alone. A global effort through collaborative partnerships and a variety of programs and strategies will be necessary to make the world safe and secure from infectious diseases. Emerging global disease threats create opportunities for us to forge new global solutions such as the International Health Regulations, which all 184 member states of the World Health Organization have adopted. Although we have made significant progress in the past 10
years, significant gaps remain. Only 20% of countries report that they are able to effectively protect their people against infectious disease threats. One of the goals of the Global Health Security Agenda is to close this gap. This is why the United States is making a commitment to help develop health systems and the necessary workforce to prevent avoidable epidemics, detect threats early, and respond rapidly and effectively to save lives and reduce human suffering.