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- CAP Engages Senate Committee on PREVENT Pandemics Act
The CAP submitted comments to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee leadership on the Committee’s Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act) discussion draft. The purpose of the PREVENT Act is to strengthen the nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response systems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the February 14 letter to the HELP Committee, the CAP provided comments on and support for several keep areas of the discussion draft including, “expanded genomic sequencing and advanced molecular detection, enhancing public health surveillance of pathogens – particularly through the Advanced Molecular Detection program, improving recruitment and retention of the public health workforce, and modernizing the supply chain for vital medical products.”
Key elements of the discussion draft include strategies to:
- Strengthen federal and state preparedness;
- Improve public health preparedness and response;
- Accelerate research and countermeasure discovery;
- Modernize and strengthen the supply chain; and
- Enhance the development of and combating shortages of medical products.
The CAP has also supported national testing and pandemic response strategy, including increased funding for critical manufacturing supply chain resilience and health infrastructure activities to address workforce capacity, health information technology, and disease surveillance.