Public health security

Public health (PH) is a critical pillar of homeland security operations and strategy. PH security exemplifies numerous challenges posed by large, complex, fragile organizational, infrastructure, research and surveillance, and supply chain systems. This chapter defines PH and epidemiology, and what each contributes to US homeland security. It discusses what PH is, the historic and current threats to PH as a key component of homeland security, as well as the ways it overlaps with the human - and in worst case scenarios, national - security realm. The chapter briefly addresses the current realities around and future needs for adequate, coordinated societal and organizational preparation and response in order to support the primary objectives of the homeland security enterprise. It focuses more on the elements of PH most relevant to homeland security such as infectious and communicable disease, whether accidental, naturally occurring, or via the growing risk of bioterrorism risk.