The United States, Canada, and Mexico Unveil Efforts to Strengthen Regional Health Security

Following through on the commitments made at the 2021 and 2023 North American Leaders’ Summits (NALS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of State (State), Agriculture (USDA), and Homeland Security (DHS), and their respective counterparts in Mexico and Canada, released the North American Preparedness for Animal and Human Pandemics Initiative (NAPAHPI) to continue strengthening regional health security and pandemic preparedness through a One Health approach.

NAPAHPI is a flexible, scalable, and cross-sectoral platform to strengthen regional capacities for prevention, preparedness, and response to a broad range of health security threats that builds on lessons learned from COVID-19 and other health security events in the last decade. It is based on a long-standing trilateral collaboration under the 2007 North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza and the 2012 North American Plan for Animal and Pandemic Influenza. This initiative recognizes that the high degree of interconnectedness among our three countries of our critical infrastructure, supply chains, and societies means that disruptions affecting one country often impact the others. Only by working together can we protect the health security of our region.

This new initiative establishes a Senior Coordinating Body as a key decision-making forum and the North American Health Security Working Group as its technical arm with members from the human health, animal health/agriculture, homeland security, and foreign affairs sectors. The three countries intend to collaborate to strengthen regional health security through a focus on priority issues:

• Animal Diseases with Zoonotic Potential
• Infectious Diseases with Pandemic Potential and Other Threats to Regional Health Security
  • Epidemiological Surveillance and Laboratory Diagnostics
  • Medical Countermeasures
  • Public Health Measures
  • Medical Supply Chains
  • Health Systems
  • Risk Communications
  • Border Health Measures
• Critical Infrastructure
• Risk Assessment and Foresight Risk Analysis
• Joint Exercises and Training
• Sustainable Financing

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that there are myriad political, legal, regulatory, policy, preparedness, and response challenges that can be best addressed through a stronger, coordinated regional approach across multiple sectors when facing large-scale events. NAPAHPI provides a renewed opportunity for North American collaboration to prevent and mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from pandemics and other events that pose a threat to regional health security.

Quotes

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra: “The United States is committed to strengthening health security and preparing for future threats. To be successful we must coordinate closely across governments, as well as with industry and community leaders – which is what this platform makes possible. Our nations cannot be strong unless they are healthy.That’s why we will continue to work together on a sustained, durable strategy that improves health security for all.”

Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs Loyce Pace: “We know that diseases know no borders and can spread rapidly in today’s globalized world. The new NAPAHPI recognizes the interconnected nature of people and animal health and the effect it has on the prosperity and security of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Strengthening health security can only be achieved through continued collaboration.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack: “Cross-sectoral and regionally collaborative approaches like the North American Preparedness for Animal and Human Pandemics Initiative are critical to preparing our three countries for future health challenges and protecting our collective health security. Through a One Health approach, USDA will leverage its deep expertise in promoting and protecting the health of plant commodities, safeguarding the health and welfare of food-producing animals, and preventing entry of or controlling plant and animal pathogens, as we join our Federal and regional counterparts in this important effort.”

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Dr. Herb Wolfe, Acting Chief Medical Officer for DHS and Acting Director of the DHS Office of Health Security: “Preparedness plays a vital role in minimizing the effects of infectious diseases on both animal populations and human health. DHS Office of Health Security continues to work with our domestic and international partners to help prevent outbreaks and protect the nation’s health security. The re-launch of NAPAHPI enhances North American pandemic preparedness and response through coordinated actions, joint investigations, and shared resources.”

U.S. Department of State:

Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy: “The partnership between the United States, Canada, and Mexico on the next chapter in health security for North America is vital. Through this initiative, and the recognition of the critical importance of the interface of human, animal, and environmental health, we will ensure that we are strengthening health security not just in our own countries but across the region and around the world.”

Canada

Minister of Health Mark Holland: “Canada, the United States and Mexico have a long-standing friendship and history of collaboration. The North American Preparedness for Animal and Human Pandemics Initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when our three countries work together on a common vision. Through more effective coordination and collaboration, we can identify and implement actions that seek to protect the health and safety of our populations, while minimizing economic and social impacts.”

Mexico

Secretario de Salud David Kershenobich: “This new framework for collaboration between Mexico, Canada, and the United States on preparedness for animal and human pandemics is an example of the close cooperation between the three countries. The framework will help us address the challenges of One Health and adopt new technologies and practices in the North American region. Additionally, it will promote a shared vision for surveillance, early identification of risk factors, and the planning and implementation of cooperative and sustainable responses to health emergencies. This trinational effort will translate into more efficient protection strategies for our populations.”