Bioterrorism response efforts lack coordination, GAO says

The efforts of federal agencies to prepare for and respond to potential bioterrorist attacks often overlap, creating accountability and coordination problems throughout government, according to a new report from the General Accounting Office. Bioterrorism is the threat or release of viruses, bacteria or other toxins through air, food or water, with the intention of making large numbers of the population sick or killing them. Federal agencies operate a variety of bioterrorist research and preparedness programs, but the government has yet to develop a cohesive, unified approach to responding to a bioterrorist attack, said the report "Bioterrorism: Federal Research and Preparedness Activities" (GAO-01-915). For example, agencies maintain separate lists of dangerous biological agents, thus resulting in a fragmented approach to developing and prioritizing sound assessments of threats and risks, GAO said. Agencies, however, told GAO that separate threat lists are appropriate since different agencies have different focuses. In addition, major agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Departments of Transportation and Agriculture, have been overlooked when it comes to bioterrorism-related policy and planning, according to GAO. The FDA was not involved in the selection of all the items for the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, for example, and the Transportation Department was not part of a founding group of agencies that worked on bioterrorism response plans even though the nation's transportation centers are potential terrorist targets. Sens. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who requested the GAO report, sent President Bush a letter Sept. 21 that called on the administration to provide sufficient funds for stockpiling medicine and adequate training for health professionals in the event of a bioterrorist attack. "Recent simulations and exercises reveal that coordination on bioterrorism is often inadequate among federal agencies and between federal and local officials," said the letter to Bush. Frist and Kennedy sponsored the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act, which was signed into law in November 2000. The law provides funding for state, local and federal public health agencies to improve preparedness for an act of bioterrorism and provides for research and public education on antibiotic resistance. GAO said that agencies are doing a better job of working with one another and sharing resources related to bioterrorism research and preparedness training, but many efforts are duplicated at the federal, state and local levels. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Justice Department, Centers for Disease Control, and the Office of Emergency Preparedeness in the Health and Human Services Department all offer separate assistance to state and local governments in planning for emergencies, including potential bioterrorist incidents. GAO also praised agencies for their individual efforts to combat and prepare for bioterrorism. HHS' National Institutes of Health are developing new therapies for the smallpox virus and the EPA has been working on improving detection of biological agents in the water. And, a March GAO report praised FEMA for providing better guidance to federal, state, and local agencies on handling the aftermath of terrorist acts and for expanding its emergency response training courses. According to GAO, the government is making some progress in its efforts to consolidate preparation for and response to terrorist attacks. The Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council have created a process within the annual budget cycle aimed at reducing overlap and improving coordination between agencies. In May, the Bush administration designated Vice President Dick Cheney to lead an effort to improve interagency coordination, and in September, President Bush created the Office of Homeland Security in the wake of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The new office will oversee and coordinate a national strategy to prevent and respond to domestic terrorism. In fiscal 2001, agencies including the departments of Agriculture, Justice, Health and Human Services and Defense devoted approximately $500 million to research and preparedness activities related to bioterrorism and terrorism. That number does not include any extra funding allocated to agencies after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.