Biocrisis: Defining Biological Threats in U.S. Policy

Biocrisis: Defining Biological Threats in U.S. Policy Synopsis

Over the last 20 years, the national security community has engaged with disease-related issues that have traditionally been the scope of public health agencies. The federal government's response has been to create a single national biodefense strategy, which has been largely ineffective in improving conditions due to poor terminology, a lack of leadership, and a failure to assess government programs.Applying a public policy framework, Albert J. Mauroni examines how the government addresses biological threatsincluding disease prevention, bioterrorism response, military biodefense, biosurety, and agricultural biosecurity and food safety. He proposes a new approach to countering biological threats, arguing that lead agencies should focus on implementing discrete portfolios with annual assessments against clear and achievable objectives.