International Health Security: A Summative Assessment by ACAIM Consensus Group

Abstract

International health security (IHS) encompasses any natural or anthropogenic occurrence that can threaten the safety of human health and well-being. The American College of Academic International Medicine IHS Consensus Group (ACAIM-CG) developed a summative assessment highlighting the main issues that can impact IHS including emerging infectious diseases; chronic health conditions; bioterrorism; planetary changes (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires, and climate change); nuclear incidents; information and cyber health; industrialization; globalization; pharmaceutical production; and communication platforms (social media). These concerns can directly and indirectly impact IHS both in the long and short term. When considering IHS, we aim to emphasize the utility of applying a predefined framework to effectively approach health security threats. This framework comprises of prevention, detection, assessment, reporting, response, addressing needs, and the perpetual repetition of the above cycle (inclusive of appropriate mitigation measures). It is hoped that this collective work will provide a foundation for further research within the redefined, expanded scope of IHS.

Toxic Stress Affecting Families and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Mental Health Crisis and an Emerging International Health Security Threat

“…Such disruptions, in conjunction with the severe economic stress caused by the pandemic, represent a once-in-a-century social crisis in the making [3]. Health security impacts will likely be felt for years if not decades to come, and will likely involve multiple domains that were previously defined in the ACAIM International Health Security Consensus [16].…”

Introductory Chapter: Transitioning International Health Security Focus from COVID-19 Pandemic to Climate Change

“…The current book reflects the current "out-of-pandemic" transition while ensuring that our focus on the overall "health security" remains laser sharp, primarily because numerous international health security threats remain. The biggest and most pronounced contemporary challenges are now clearly emerging, and the now undisputed climate change dominates the priority list [3]. As these words are being written, forest fires rage across numerous geographic areas of the world, while a combination of unpredictable flooding and droughts (due in large part to climate-dependent redistribution of water resources) threaten to make entire regions of the planet uninhabitable.…”

Introductory Chapter: Contemporary Considerations and Developments in Global Health Security

“…The resulting loss of life, economic disruption, strain on healthcare systems, and social instability profoundly impacted countries' health security and threatened progress. As demonstrated repeatedly over the past several decades, countries around the globe are generally unprepared and ill-equipped to tackle the potential threats of epidemics, pandemics, and other public health emergencies [1,2]. The fallout from the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) exposed the various deficiencies and vulnerabilities of health systems around the world, even among the most medically advanced nations [3,4].…”

“…Global health security (GHS), according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), can be defined as "…the existence of strong and resilient public health systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats wherever they occur in the world" [2,[9][10][11] (Figure 1). Dramatic changes associated with globalization, population expansion, environmental degradation, armed conflicts, and chemical usage have advanced the spread of diseases, especially infectious agents, endangering the health of people and posing a grave threat to public health across geographical regions and international borders [1,5]. These undeniable consequences led to the formation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).…”