Strategic Objective 2.1: Improve capabilities to predict, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and threats across the nation and globe
Strategic Objective 2.2: Protect individuals, families, and communities from infectious disease and non-communicable disease through equitable access to effective, innovative, readily available diagnostics, treatments, therapeutics, medical devices, and vaccines
Strategic Objective 2.3: Enhance promotion of healthy behaviors to reduce occurrence of and disparities in preventable injury, illness, and death
Strategic Objective 2.4: Mitigate the impacts of environmental factors, including climate change, on health outcomes
HHS is dedicated to safeguarding and improving health conditions and health outcomes for everyone. The Department improves capabilities to predict, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and threats, domestically and abroad. The Department protects individuals, families, and communities from infectious disease and prevent non-communicable disease through the development and equitable delivery of effective, innovative, readily available, treatments, therapeutics, medical devices, and vaccines. HHS enhances the promotion of healthy behaviors to reduce occurrence and disparities in preventable injury, illness, and death. The Department also mitigates the impacts of environmental factors, including climate change, on health outcomes.
In the context of HHS, this Strategic Plan adopts the definition of underserved communities listed in Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government to refer to “populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life”; this definition includes individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. Individuals may belong to more than one underserved community and face intersecting barriers. This definition applies to the terms underserved communities and underserved populations throughout this Strategic Plan.
Related Executive Orders (EO) and White House Action Plans, Directives, and Guidance:
- EO 12898: Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.
- EO 13676: Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
- EO 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government
- EO 13987: Organizing and Mobilizing the United States Government to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID-19 and to Provide United States Leadership on Global Health and Security
- EO 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis
- EO 13991: Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing
- EO 13994: Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats
- EO 13995: Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery
- EO 13996: Establishing the COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board and Ensuring a Sustainable Public Health Workforce for COVID-19 and Other Biological Threats
- EO 13997: Improving and Expanding Access to Care and Treatments for COVID-19
- EO 14001: A Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain
- EO 14002: Economic Relief Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
- EO 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
- EO 14013: Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
- American Pandemic Preparedness: Transforming Our Capabilities
- Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, March 2021
- National Security Memorandum on United States Global Leadership to Strengthen the International COVID-19 Response and to Advance Global Health Security and Biological Preparedness
- National Strategy for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain, July 2021
- National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, January 2021
- Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan
- U.S. COVID-19 Global Response and Recovery Framework, July 2021
- White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Recommended Policy Guidance for Departmental Development of Review Mechanisms for Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO), January 2017
Related Legislation:
- 21st Century Cures Act
- Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act of 2018
- Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA)
- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
- Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020
- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021
- Emergency Use Authorization
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
- Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act)
- Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
- Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018
- FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
- Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act of 2021
- Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
- Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
- Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act
- Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act
- HEALTHY KIDS Act
- Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020
- National Consumer Health Information and Health Promotion Act of 1976
- National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990
- National Strategy for Combating and Eliminating Tuberculosis
- Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990
- Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
- Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006 (PAHPA)
- Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2013
- Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA) of 2019
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
- PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018
- Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant
- Project BioShield Act of 2004
- Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002
- Public Health Service (PHS) Act
- Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005
- Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009
- Sunscreen Innovation Act (SIA)
- The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act
- The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (Common Rule)
- Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act)
Within HHS, the following divisions are working to achieve Strategic Goal 2: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Community Living (ACL), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Indian Health Service (IHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (ASFR), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Office of Global Affairs (OGA), Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).