Health security depends on a resilient nation able to withstand and recover from the adverse health effects of incidents. At the core of a resilient nation are individuals and communities knowing what they can do to protect themselves and being able to do so. Prepared individuals are aware of potential risks, understand where they can turn for help, know what their personal responsibilities are, and are willing to help their neighbors and community members. The ASPR role in fostering empowered communities includes policy leadership that promotes a common national understanding of and approach toward resilience. A critical part of this is promoting innovative thinking about the ways in which individuals connect and form communities – and how new technologies and ways of communicating can strengthen those connections and foster resilience. Encouraging a national approach toward community resilience is a priority for ASPR, and thus merits calling out as its own goal. However, strategies and practices that build resilience should be taken into account in everything ASPR does.
Strategies
- Promote community resilience by
- Developing ways to identify outcomes for community resilience, share best practices, and measure and track progress
- Integrating resilience best practices and strategies into ASPR’s programs and operations
- Promote innovation in using social networks and new technologies to enhance community connectedness and to empower individuals to take action
- Support the incorporation of risk communication activities into preparedness, response, and recovery plans, fostering consistent messaging nationally by developing timely and appropriate messaging in coordination with partners
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