The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (abbreviated CHS) is an independent,
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
of the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. As the second independent, degree-granting institution for research in epi ...
. The center works to protect people's health from epidemics and pandemics and ensures that communities are resilient to major challenges. The center is also concerned with biological weapons and the biosecurity implications of emerging biotechnology.
The Center for Health Security gives policy recommendations to the
United States government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
and the UN
Biological Weapons Convention
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpil ...
.
[Center for Health Security](_blank)
Mission Statement
History
The Center for Health Security began as the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies (CCBS) in 1998 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
D. A. Henderson served as the founding director. At that time, the center was the first and only academic center focused on biosecurity policy and practice.
At one point around 2003, CHS had become part of a new
umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...
called the Institute for Global Health and Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In November 2003, some of the leaders left Johns Hopkins to join the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a $23billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals with more than 8,000 licensed beds, 800 clinical locations including outpatient sites and do ...
(UPMC), and launched their own
Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. This move apparently split the organization in two, and it is unclear what happened to the old organization.
On April 30, 2013, the UPMC Center changed its name from "Center for Biosecurity of UPMC" to "UPMC Center for Health Security". This name change reflected a broadening of the scope of CHS's work.
In January 2017, the JHU Center became part of the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. As the second independent, degree-granting institution for research in epi ...
. Its
domain name
A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services and more. As ...
changed from upmchealthsecurity.org to centerforhealthsecurity.org.
Funding
In 2002, the center received a $1 million grant from the US federal government.
Before 2017, CHS was heavily reliant on government funding.
In January 2017, the
Open Philanthropy Project
Open Philanthropy is a research and grantmaking foundation that makes grants based on the doctrine of effective altruism. It was founded as a partnership between GiveWell and Good Ventures. Its current co-chief executive officers are Holden K ...
awarded a $16 million grant over three years to the Center for Health Security.
Another grant of $19.5 million was awarded in September 2019.
Publications
The Center for Health Security publishes three online newsletters:
* ''Clinicians' Biosecurity News'' (formerly the ''Clinicians' Biosecurity Network Report''), published twice each month
* ''Health Security Headlines'', a news digest published 3 times a week (previously called ''Biosecurity Briefing'', then ''Biosecurity News in Brief'' starting in 2009, then ''Biosecurity News Today'' starting in 2010 or 2011, and finally ''Health Security Headlines'' starting in 2013; the digest used to also be weekly until in February 2009, HSH was published daily from 2009 until late 2021 when it was changed to 3 times per week to accommodate the ''COVID-19 Update'' briefings published twice a week since January 2020)
* ''Preparedness Pulsepoints'', published weekly
It maintains and edits a peer reviewed journa
Health Securitywhich is part of the Mary Ann Liebert publishing group.
It also provides editorial oversight for the journal ''Health Security'', which was launched in 2003 and called ''Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science'' until 2015.
CHS published the
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
''The Bifurcated Needle'' until 2020.
The Open Philanthropy Project's grant writeup of CHS noted several publications:
*
*
*
The center has published in journals including ''
JAMA
''The Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 48 times a year by the American Medical Association. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of biom ...
'' and ''
The Lancet
''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823.
The journal publishes original research articles, ...
''. A full list of publications is available on the CHS website. , the list shows more than 400 publications.
Major conferences and tabletop exercises
Operation Dark Winter
From June 22–23, 2001, CHS co-hosted
Operation Dark Winter
Operation Dark Winter was the code name for a senior-level bio-terrorist attack simulation conducted on June 22–23, 2001. It was designed to carry out a mock version of a covert and widespread smallpox attack on the United States. Tara O'Toole ...
, a senior-level bioterrorism attack simulation involving a covert and widespread smallpox attack on the United States.
Atlantic Storm
On January 14, 2005, CHS helped to host
Atlantic Storm ''Atlantic Storm'' was a ministerial exercise simulating the top-level response to a bioterror incident. The simulation operated on January 14, 2005, in Washington, D.C. It was created in part to reveal the current international state of preparednes ...
, a table-top
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, and/or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in much the same ...
simulation.
Clade X
On May 15, 2018, the Center hosted Clade X, a day-long pandemic tabletop exercise that simulated a series of National Security Council–convened meetings of 10 US government leaders, played by individuals prominent in the fields of national security or epidemic response.
Drawing from actual events, Clade X identified important policy issues and preparedness challenges that could be solved with sufficient political will and attention. These issues were designed in a narrative to engage and educate the participants and the audience.
Clade X was livestreamed on Facebook and extensive materials from the exercise are available online.
Event 201
On October 18, 2019, the CHS partnered with the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
and the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...
to host the tabletop exercise Event 201 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
[Kirsten Salyer (15 October 2019)]
"Live Simulation Exercise to Prepare Public and Private Leaders for Pandemic Response"
press release from World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
: "Event 201 exercise will bring together public and private leaders to inform multistakeholder cooperation for pandemic preparedness and response" According to the CHS, "the exercise illustrated areas where public/private partnerships will be necessary during the response to a severe
pandemic
A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...
in order to diminish large-scale economic and societal consequences".
Event 201 simulated the effects of a fictional
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
passing to humans via infected
pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
farms in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
with "no possibility of a
vaccine
A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifie ...
being available in the first year".
The simulation ended after 18 months with 65 million deaths from the coronavirus.
Other
* Improving Epidemic Response: Building Bridges Between the US and China. May 2012.
* Considerations for the Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). March 2012.
* U.S. Preparedness for a Nuclear Detonation. October 2011.
* Charting the Future of Biosecurity: Ten Years After the Anthrax Attacks. October 2011.
* Advancing US Resilience to a Nuclear Catastrophe. May 2011.
* Preserving National Security: The Growing Role of the Life Sciences. March 2011.
* Improving Global Health, Strengthening Global Security. November 2010.
* The State of BIOPreparedness: Lessons from Leaders, Proposals for Progress. September 2010.
* Preparing to Save Lives and Recover After a Nuclear Detonation: Implications for US Policy. April 2010.
* The 2009 H1N1 Experience: Policy Implications for Future Infectious Disease Emergencies. March 2010.
* Resilient American Communities: Progress In Practice and Policy. December 10, 2009.
* Prevention of Biothreats: A Look Ahead. October 6, 2009.
* Disease, Disaster, and Democracy: The Public's Stake in Health Emergency Planning. May 2006.
* Bulls, Bears, and Birds: Preparing the Financial Industry for a Pandemic. September 2005.
* Conference on Biosafety and Biorisks. May 2005.
* The Public as an Asset, Not a Problem: A Summit on Leadership During Bioterrorism. February 2003.
* 2nd National Symposium on Medical and Public Health Response to Bioterrorism. November 2000.
* National Symposium on Medical and Public Health Response to Bioterrorism. February 1999.
See also
*
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
*
Anti-terrorism legislation
Anti-terrorism legislation are laws with the purpose of fighting terrorism. They usually, if not always, follow specific bombings or assassinations. Anti-terrorism legislation usually includes specific amendments allowing the state to bypass its ...
*
Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989
The Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989 (BWATA), ) was a piece of U.S. legislation that was passed into law in 1990. It provided for the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention as well as criminal penalties for violation of i ...
*
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement on biosafety as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) effective since 2003. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to prote ...
*
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. CSIS was founded as the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University in 1962. The center conducts polic ...
*
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its ...
*
Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism The Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism 2005 (CECPT) is a regional multilateral treaty negotiated under the auspices of the Council of Europe. It was concluded in Warsaw on 16 May 2005. Most notable amongst its provisions are ...
*
Crimson Contagion
Crimson Contagion was a joint exercise conducted from January to August 2019, in which numerous national, state and local, private and public organizations in the US participated, in order to test the capacity of the federal government and twelv ...
*
European BioSafety Association The European BioSafety Association (EBSA) is a non-profit organization, founded in June 1996, which provides a forum to its members to discuss and debate issues of concern and to represent those working in the field of biosafety and associated activ ...
*
European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) Fellowship provides training and practical experience in intervention epidemiology at the national centres for Public health surveillance, surveillance and control of communicable ...
* ''
Eurosurveillance
''Eurosurveillance'' (''Euro surveillance : bulletin Européen sur les maladies transmissibles'', "European communicable disease bulletin") is an open-access medical journal covering epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communic ...
''
*
Global catastrophic risk
A global catastrophic risk or a doomsday scenario is a hypothetical future event that could damage human well-being on a global scale, even endangering or destroying modern civilization. An event that could cause human extinction or permanen ...
*
Global Health Security Initiative
The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) is an informal international partnership among countries in order to exchange information and coordinate practices for confronting new threats and risks to global health. It was formed to respond to th ...
*
Health Threat Unit
The Health Threat Unit of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection (European Commission), is responsible for terrorism surveillance and early warning of biological, chemical, and radiological threats within the European Union. T ...
*
International Health Regulations
The International Health Regulations (IHR), first adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1969 and last revised in 2005, are a legally binding rules that only apply to the WHO that is an instrument that aims for international collaboration "to pre ...
*
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics
The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an interdisciplinary center serving the entire Johns Hopkins University and Health System. It is dedicated to the study of complex moral and policy issues in ...
*
*
Open Philanthropy Project § Biosecurity
*
Operation Dark Winter
Operation Dark Winter was the code name for a senior-level bio-terrorist attack simulation conducted on June 22–23, 2001. It was designed to carry out a mock version of a covert and widespread smallpox attack on the United States. Tara O'Toole ...
*
*
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is an operating agency of the U.S. Public Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services that focuses preventing, preparing for, and responding to the adverse h ...
*
PublicHealthEmergency.gov
PublicHealthEmergency.gov is a web portal created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to serve as a single point of entry for access to public health risk, and situational awareness information when the President or the Secretary o ...
References
External links
"Experts predicted a coronavirus pandemic years ago. Now it's playing out before our eyes"CNN
*
''The Bifurcated Needle'' the Center for Health Security's blog
*
', a twice monthly newsletter published by the Center
Rad Resilient CityRad Resilient City Preparedness Checklist Actions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Health think tanks
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University of Pittsburgh
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Think tanks based in the United States
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Think tanks established in 1998