Center for Health Security

Center for Health Security

The Center for Health Security is a leading organization dedicated to protecting people's health from epidemics and disasters and ensuring that communities are resilient to major challenges. It is part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is located in Baltimore, Maryland.

History

The Center for Health Security was originally founded in 1998 as the Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies at Johns Hopkins University. It was established in response to growing concerns about the threat of bioterrorism and the need for a dedicated institution to address these challenges. In 2003, the center became part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and was renamed the UPMC Center for Health Security. In 2017, it returned to Johns Hopkins University and adopted its current name.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Center for Health Security is to protect people's health from the consequences of epidemics and disasters and to ensure that communities are resilient to major challenges. The center aims to achieve this through research, policy analysis, and advocacy.

Research Areas

The Center for Health Security conducts research in several key areas:

• Biosecurity and Biodefense: The center studies the prevention and response to biological threats, including bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases.
• Public Health Preparedness: Research focuses on improving the ability of public health systems to respond to emergencies.
• Health System Resilience: The center examines how health systems can withstand and recover from disasters and other major disruptions.
• Global Health Security: Efforts are made to enhance international collaboration and capacity to prevent and respond to global health threats.

Key Initiatives

The Center for Health Security is involved in several key initiatives, including:

• The Global Health Security Index: A comprehensive assessment of global health security capabilities in 195 countries.
• Clade X Exercise: A pandemic tabletop exercise designed to illustrate high-level strategic decisions and policies needed to prevent a severe pandemic.
• Event 201: A pandemic exercise that simulated a global outbreak of a novel coronavirus, conducted in October 2019.

Publications and Resources

The center publishes a variety of resources, including reports, policy papers, and the journal *Health Security*. These publications provide insights and recommendations on improving health security and preparedness.

Leadership

The Center for Health Security is led by a team of experts in public health, medicine, and policy. The current director is Dr. Tom Inglesby, a prominent figure in the field of health security.

Also see

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Biodefense
• Global Health Security
• Public Health Preparedness