GAO Report Criticizes HHS Emergency Stockpile Management, Offers Recommendations

HHS leadership and coordination challenges with handling public health emergencies, particularly its management of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), was scrutinized in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report resulting in recommendations for improvement.

In the 84-page report released to congressional committees last week, the GAO outlined HHS’ oversight issues with the SNS, a multibillion-dollar inventory of drugs, vaccines, and other medical supplies available to states, localities, territories and Tribes during emergencies.

A 100 percent response rate from all 62 national jurisdictions (50 states, four localities and eight US territories) surveyed revealed, among other issues, challenges in both requesting and receiving SNS assets, particularly during responses to COVID-19 and the monkeypox virus.

In the meantime, HHS has created a new office focused on external coordination and developing a new system to monitor SNS requests.

View the full GAO report here.

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