GAO report outlines expert actions to strengthen emerging disease surveillance
The recommendations target HHS and partner agencies and could guide surveillance improvements immediately.
The Government Accountability Office released report GAO-26-107610, summarizing input from a roundtable of 18 experts convened in April and May 2025. The report presents a set of actions the federal government could take to improve surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, organized into four thematic areas: collaboration, data quality and infrastructure, surveillance methods, and communication.
Experts urged the creation of a multisectoral, multidisciplinary leadership group to coordinate surveillance planning across agencies responsible for human and animal health. Such a group would address the current lack of centralized authority that hampers cross-agency collaboration. HHS officials cited the existing U.S. One Health Coordination Unit as a related effort that could be expanded to meet this recommendation.
In the data domain, the panel recommended identifying and applying standards for surveillance data to enhance quality and interoperability. For surveillance methods, they suggested evaluating the cost-effectiveness of existing systems and exploring new approaches. The communication pillar called for a comprehensive strategy to raise public awareness of surveillance activities and the role of public health.
GAO noted that HHS's leadership and coordination of public health emergencies has been on the agency's High-Risk List since January 2022. The expert suggestions give HHS and stakeholders a framework to assess trade-offs and feasibility when expanding current programs or pursuing new initiatives, while also aligning with prior GAO recommendations.
The study fulfills a CARES Act provision requiring GAO to monitor and report on the federal pandemic response. For further information, contact Mary Deningan-Macauley at [email protected].