# 2874
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes. - From the GAO Website
The GAO has issued a status report (released March 6th, 2009) on the progress the Federal Government has made in preparing for a pandemic.
Previously the GAO had issued 23 recommendations to the Federal government on areas that they felt needed attention. According to this latest report, a little more than half (13) have been implemented.
The Full Report (PDF, 58 pages) is available for download from the GAO website, and a Summary (HTML) is available as well.
(Note: Government writers haven't learned to break paragraphs down to something semi-readable on the web. So I've taken the liberty to reparagraph the following information to make it easier on the eyes).
WHAT THE GAO FOUND
Leadership roles and responsibilities need to be clarified and tested, and coordination mechanisms could be better utilized.
Shared leadership roles and responsibilities between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) and other entities are evolving, and will require further testing and exercising before they are well understood.
Although there are mechanisms in place to facilitate coordination between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these could be more fully utilized.
Efforts are underway to improve the surveillance and detection of pandemic-related threats, but targeting assistance to countries at the greatest risk has been based on incomplete information.
Steps have been taken to improve international disease surveillance and detection efforts. However, information gaps limit the capacity for comprehensive comparisons of risk levels by country.
Pandemic planning and exercising has occurred, but planning gaps remain.
The United States and other countries, as well as states and localities, have developed influenza pandemic plans. Yet, additional planning needs still exist. For example, the national strategy and implementation plan omitted some key elements, and HHS found many major gaps in states’ pandemic plans.
Further actions are needed to address the capacity to respond to and recover from an influenza pandemic.
An outbreak will require additional capacity in many areas, including the procurement of additional patient treatment space and the acquisition and distribution of medical and other critical supplies, such as antivirals and vaccines for an influenza pandemic.
Federal agencies have provided considerable guidance and pandemic related information, but could augment their efforts.
Federal agencies, such as HHS and DHS, have shared information in a number of ways, such as through Web sites and guidance, but state and local governments and private sector representatives would welcome additional information on vaccine distribution and other topics.
Performance monitoring and accountability for pandemic preparedness needs strengthening.
Although certain performance measures have been established in the National Pandemic Implementation Plan to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these measures are not always linked to results. Further, the plan does not contain information on the financial resources needed to implement it.
GAO has made 23 recommendations in its reports—13 of these have been implemented and 10 remain outstanding. Continued leadership focus on pandemic preparedness remains vital, as the threat has not diminished.
Obviously, some of these are pretty big items.
For example, the statement - the national strategy and implementation plan omitted some key elements, and HHS found many major gaps in states’ pandemic plans - covers a lot of territory.
I've not had an opportunity to read this report in its entirety, so I'll not comment on it at this time. It should, however, make for interesting reading.
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