TOPIC AREA 5
STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP & COORDINATION Our 2017 white paper addressed the need to establish centralized leadership within the American preparedness and response enterprise. We extended our support for the idea put forth by the Blue-Ribbon Panel Study on Biodefense that authority should be centralized in the Vice President of the United States office and that there should be clear lines of authority extending from there. While this remains a gap in America’s ability to prepare for and respond to pandemics, whether that is vested within the Vice President or another high-level White House authority, we are now broadening the conversation to examine the need for strengthening international leadership and coordination. Most notably, there is a need for international organizations involved in pandemic response to develop a strategic direction, to understand the importance of communication during a crisis and develop steps and strategies to communicate effectively, and to support coordination between organizations and countries that are part of the preparedness and response effort.
Global Leadership at a Crossroads
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