Amanda Glassman and Kate McQueston's piece on the U.S.' lack of preparedness for handling a future public health emergency was featured in The Atlantic.
From the Article
I'm glad the new Hollywood blockbuster Contagion will be scaring moviegoers around the world this fall. The truth is, we probably should be scared. Pandemic emergencies are a very real threat in our ever more globalized society. Unfortunately, both the Obama administration and Congress are set to cut funding to investigate and track new infectious diseases. They seem to think that sudden pandemics are works of fiction.
The government's top security experts know otherwise. The National Security Council (NSC) recently released a low-profile but extraordinarily important report: Promoting Global Health Security: Guidance and Principles for U.S. Government Departments and Agencies to Strengthen International Health Regulation Core Capacities Internationally. While lacking a decent title, this paper is the first NSC document to acknowledge that the U.S. apparatus responsible for handling international public health emergencies is split among many agencies and lacking key capacities. If you want to view the paper, you'll have to wait: The interagency group that created the document is still deciding where it will be posted.
Hollywood blockbusters are not normally a recommended form of educational material, but Contagion and the NSC report make similar points: