As U.S. surgeons general under the Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations, we dedicated our careers to safeguarding the health of all Americans, both domestically and globally.
Through our experiences, we witnessed the profound impact of public health crises ‒ spanning from conflicts and natural disasters to the recent COVID-19 pandemic ‒ on individuals, communities and nations as a whole. We have also seen up close the real and lasting impact of U.S. leadership, action and collaboration in protecting Americans at home and abroad. For surgeons general, there is no higher purpose, nor greater result.But as we have all seen, when public health is compromised the repercussions extend far beyond physical well-being. Economic growth, employment opportunities, educational access and overall societal welfare are jeopardized when health security is not prioritized. Hence, we urge for a renewed emphasis on America's leadership and accountability in global health security to avert such crises in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how a health emergency originating on one side of the world can swiftly transform into a........