Health Ministry Draws Up Draft National Action Plan for Health Security

Bratislava, 2 November (TASR) - The Health Ministry has drawn up a draft National Action Plan for Slovakia's Health Security for 2027-2031, with the aim being to strengthen the country's readiness to deal with threats and emergencies affecting public health, according to a document for which the inter-ministerial consultation process has recently ended. "The strategic objective of the National Action Plan for Health Security is to systematically strengthen the preparedness, resilience and capacity of the Slovak Republic's health security system in order to prevent events that may endanger public health, to identify threats in a timely manner, to implement effective response measures and to make it possible to restore essential functions once an emergency has ended, regardless of the origin and nature of the threat," stated the ministry. The Health Ministry has drawn up the proposal based on recommendations from experts at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which stem from an assessment of the level of public health emergency preparations. Priorities include strengthening the management and coordination of the public health security system, building a modern and cyber-resilient system for early warning, surveillance and laboratory capacities, and enhancing the level of preparedness and the ability to respond effectively to public health emergencies. It is important to develop capacities for crisis management, operational coordination and logistical support and for making public health countermeasures available, including in terms of readiness to deal with biological, chemical and other health threats. am/df