Nuclear Threat Initiative

About: Nuclear Threat Initiative is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Public health & Global health. The organization has 15 authors who have published 21 publications receiving 851 citations.

Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses as Biological Weapons: Medical and Public Health Management

Abstract: ObjectiveTo develop consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals if hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) are used as biological weapons against a civilian populationParticipantsThe Working Group on Civilian Biodefense included 26 representatives from academic medical centers, public health, military services, governmental agencies, and other emergency management institutionsEvidenceMEDLINE was searched from January 1966 to January 2002 Retrieved references, relevant material published prior to 1966, and additional sources identified by participants were reviewedConsensus ProcessThree formal drafts of the statement that synthesized information obtained in the evidence-gathering process were reviewed by the working group Each draft incorporated comments and judgments of the members All members approved the final draftConclusionsWeapons disseminating a number of HFVs could cause an outbreak of an undifferentiated febrile illness 2 to 21 days later, associated with clinical manifestations that could include rash, hemorrhagic diathesis, and shock The mode of transmission and clinical course would vary depending on the specific pathogen Diagnosis may be delayed given clinicians' unfamiliarity with these diseases, heterogeneous clinical presentation within an infected cohort, and lack of widely available diagnostic tests Initiation of ribavirin therapy in the early phases of illness may be useful in treatment of some of these viruses, although extensive experience is lacking There are no licensed vaccines to treat the diseases caused by HFVs

Suboptimal US Response to COVID-19 Despite Robust Capabilities and Resources.

Abstract: This Viewpoint attempts to reconcile the US’s high 2019 preparedness ranking on the Global Health Security Index, an international framework for benchmarking he

The value proposition of the Global Health Security Index.

Abstract: Infectious disease outbreaks pose major threats to human health and security. Countries with robust capacities for preventing, detecting and responding to outbreaks can avert many of the social, political, economic and health system costs of such crises. The Global Health Security Index (GHS Index)-the first comprehensive assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across 195 countries-recently found that no country is sufficiently prepared for epidemics or pandemics. The GHS Index can help health security stakeholders identify areas of weakness, as well as opportunities to collaborate across sectors, collectively strengthen health systems and achieve shared public health goals. Some scholars have recently offered constructive critiques of the GHS Index's approach to scoring and ranking countries; its weighting of select indicators; its emphasis on transparency; its focus on biosecurity and biosafety capacities; and divergence between select country scores and corresponding COVID-19-associated caseloads, morbidity, and mortality. Here, we (1) describe the practical value of the GHS Index; (2) present potential use cases to help policymakers and practitioners maximise the utility of the tool; (3) discuss the importance of scoring and ranking; (4) describe the robust methodology underpinning country scores and ranks; (5) highlight the GHS Index's emphasis on transparency and (6) articulate caveats for users wishing to use GHS Index data in health security research, policymaking and practice.

Trust Across Borders: Responding to 2009 H1N1 Influenza in the Middle East

Abstract: Disease surveillance networks in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa are models for the kind of transnational cooperation that can mount the needed flexible and coordinated response to the spread of 2009 H1N1 influenza and future pandemic threats. For example, members of the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), a regional disease surveillance network of public health experts and ministry of health officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan, have coordinated the screening, laboratory testing, and risk communication strategies to detect and control 2009 H1N1 influenza. This coordination is made possible by trust and by well-exercised national and regional pandemic preparedness policies. The consortium illustrates the value of regional disease surveillance networks in shaping and managing cohesive policies on current and future threats. The MECIDS alliance partnership also exemplifies to other parts of the world that are experiencing conflict—like Sout...