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Home > Reports & Testimonies > Biodefense: The Nation Faces Multiple Challenges in Building and Maintaining Biodefense and Biosurveillance

Biodefense: The Nation Faces Multiple Challenges in Building and Maintaining Biodefense and Biosurveillance

GAO-16-547T

Published: Apr 14, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 14, 2016.

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Highlights

What GAO Found The biodefense enterprise is fragmented and does not have strategic oversight to promote efficiency and

accountability. Specifically, the biodefense enterprise lacks institutionalized leadership enterprise-wide

to provide strategic oversight and coordination. In 2011, GAO reported, there are more than two dozen

presidentially appointed individuals with biodefense responsibilities and numerous federal agencies with

mission responsibilities for supporting biodefense activities, but no individual or entity with

responsibility for overseeing the entire biodefense enterprise. In 2011, GAO reported that the

Homeland Security Council (HSC) should consider establishing a focal point for federal biodefense

coordination. In December 2014, National Security Council (NSC) staff, which supports the HSC, told

GAO that two of its directorates work together as the focal point for federal biodefense efforts. This is

an important step in promoting a comprehensive and coordinated approach to biodefense, but strategic

leadership issues persist. In October 2015, a report by the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense stated

strategic leadership issues persist and called for a focal point to provide strategic leadership, noting that

elevating authority above the agency-level can help overcome the challenges faced by the biodefense

enterprise. The Study Panel found that White House councils and offices generally only become involved

when a specific biodefense issue affects a prominent ongoing responsibility—a method which is not

consistent with our call for a strategic approach.

In 2011, GAO also reported that while some high-level biodefense strategies have been developed, there

is no broad, integrated national strategy that encompasses all stakeholders with biodefense

responsibilities that can be used to guide the systematic identification of risk; assess resources needed

to address those risks; and prioritize and allocate investment across the entire biodefense enterprise.

GAO reported that the overarching biodefense enterprise would benefit from strategic oversight

mechanisms, including a national strategy, to help ensure efficient, effective, and accountable results,

and suggested the HSC take action. However, as of February 2016, such a strategy had not been

developed.

Biosurveillance, an aspect of biodefense, also faces key challenges at all levels of government that

transcend what any one agency can address on its own, and our more recent and ongoing work continues

to highlight these challenges. In 2010, GAO recommended the HSC establish a focal point to lead the

development of a national biosurveillance strategy that clarifies roles and responsibilities, provides goals

and performance measures, and identifies resource and investment needs, among other elements.

However, the recommendations have not been fully implemented. Since 2009 GAO's has also identified

challenges with specific biosurveillance capabilities. Specifically, GAO has identified biosurveillance

capability challenges with, among other topics, (1) state and local public heath capabilities, (2) animal

health surveillance capabilities, and (3) two Department of Homeland Security biosurveillance efforts—

the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) and the BioWatch Program (which aims to

provide early indication of an aerosolized biological weapon attack). However, not all recommendations

have been implemented.

Why GAO Did This Study The nation's biodefense enterprise is the whole combination of systems at every level of government and

the private sector that can contribute to protecting the nation and its citizens from potentially

catastrophic effects of a biological event. It is composed of a complex collection of resources, programs,

and initiatives, designed for different purposes and dedicated to mitigating various risks, both natural

and intentional.

In an era of rapid transit and global trade, the public health and agricultural industries, as well as natural

ecosystems including native plants and wildlife, face increased threats of naturally occurring outbreaks

of infectious disease and accidental exposure to biological threats. Also, threats of bioterrorism, such as

anthrax attacks, highlight the continued need for biosurveillance systems that provide early detection

and warning about biological threats to humans.

This statement summarizes GAO's work on challenges to building and maintaining the nation's

biodefense and biosurveillance. This statement is based on GAO work issued from December 2009

through March 2016 on various biodefense and biosurveillance efforts. GAO also reviewed the 2015

report of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense for updates, but has not independently assessed

the entirety of the conclusions, recommendations or methods. To conduct the prior work, GAO reviewed

relevant laws, presidential directives, policies, strategic plans, and other reports; surveyed states; and

interviewed federal, state, and industry officials, among others.

For more information, contact Chris Currie at (404) 679-1875 or [email protected].

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GAO Contacts

Christopher P. Currie

Director

 [email protected]

 (404) 679-1875

Office of Public Affairs

Chuck Young

Managing Director

 [email protected]

 (202) 512-4800

Topics

Homeland Security Biological research Biological warfare Biological weapons Bioterrorism Disease detection or diagnosis

Emergency preparedness Emerging infectious diseases Epidemics Homeland security Infectious diseases Public health Strategic planning

Biosurveillance

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