What GAO Found
Since 2006, multiple federal laws have mandated that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) take steps to improve the nation’s situational awareness of threats related to public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, HHS was required to establish a near real-time electronic nationwide public health situational awareness capability through an interoperable network of systems. This network was to be used to facilitate early detection of and rapid response to potentially catastrophic infectious disease outbreaks.
More than 15 years after the law initially mandated it, the federal government does not yet have this needed situational awareness network capability. If this network had been available, it could have been used to provide vital information to better manage a timely COVID-19 response.
The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 reiterated the need for HHS to improve situational awareness capabilities. The following summarizes key requirements in the act and the extent to which HHS has implemented them as of March 2022.
Summary of statutory requirements related to the improvement of situational awareness for public health emergencies and the extent to which HHS has implemented them as of March 2022
Summary of requirements
Implementation status
Adopt technical and reporting standards.
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Provide grants to establish integrated systems.
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Develop a plan for sharing and securing information.
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Establish a near real-time electronic na …