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U.S. NEWS Friday 28 January 2022
Watchdog says key federal health agency is failing on crises

By R. ALONSO-ZALDIVAR capabilities to put them on
Associated Press par with the nation’s mili-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The tary defense response.
government’s main health Under both the Biden and
agency is failing to meet the Trump administrations,
its responsibilities for lead- HHS has taken a back seat
ing the national response to the White House in man-
to public health emergen- agement of the coronavirus
cies including the corona- pandemic even though its
virus pandemic, extreme scientists, doctors, disease
weather disasters and even detectives and service
potential bioterrorist at- providers carry out most of
tacks, a federal watchdog the day-to-day work.The
said Thursday. GAO said it found “persis-
The nonpartisan Govern- tent deficiencies” in five
ment Accountability Office main areas. They include
said it is designating the establishing clear roles and
Health and Human Servic- responsibilities for federal,
es Department’s leadership state and local agencies,
and coordination of public collecting and analyzing
health emergencies as a data to inform decision-
“high risk” area for the gov- makers and providing clear
ernment. While that desig- and consistent communi-
nation carries no immedi- The Department of Health and Human Services building is seen in Washington, April 5, 2009. cation to the public. For ex-
ate penalties, it signals to Associated Press ample, the GAO said that
Congress that lawmakers federal and state agencies trol and Prevention, an HHS ing progress in this whole- the department has yet to
need to pay special atten- and providing clear and agency, building out the of-government effort as address recommendations
tion to the agency’s opera- consistent communica- supply chain and improv- we continue to work to en- from 2020 for resolving sup-
tions. tion to the public and the ing coordination from the sure the American people ply chain issues, including
Long-standing “persistent health care community, top rungs of HHS. Some of are protected from future the availability of diagnos-
deficiencies” at HHS “have the GAO said. those address issues raised health-related emergen- tic tests. Increasing produc-
hindered the nation’s re- The report is part of the by the GAO report. cies.” tion of at-home COVID-19
sponse to the current CO- GAO’s evaluation of the The report did not assign The GAO said that of 115 tests has become a top pri-
VID-19 pandemic and a government’s pandemic blame to individual offi- recommendations it has ority for the White House in
variety of past threats,” the response. It was released cials, in the current or past made to HHS over the past recent weeks.
GAO said in its report. “If as senators of both parties administrations. 15 years on public health The GAO concluded
left unaddressed, these de- came out with draft legisla- Department spokesperson emergencies, 72 have not that data collection and
ficiencies will continue to tion this week calling for a Sarah Lovenheim said in been fully put in place. analysis has been a criti-
hamper the nation’s ability close study of the pandem- a statement that “we’re Last year, the White House cal weakness for the gov-
to be prepared for, and ef- ic and an overhaul of HHS’ in a much stronger posi- issued a plan for updating ernment since the start of
fectively respond to, future capabilities. tion than we were a year the pandemic response, the pandemic. As a result,
threats.” Among the lawmakers’ ago.” She added that “we but it was not couched in decision-makers have had
The shortfalls include man- priorities are closer con- look forward to reading terms of fixing serious short- only a partial or late-evolv-
aging the medical supply gressional oversight of the GAO’s feedback on these comings. Instead, it called ing view of some develop-
chain, coordinating with Centers for Disease Con- important issues and shar- for improving public health ments. q

Austin orders more focus on limiting

civilian casualties

By ROBERT BURNS es it will require, to imple- lence” to institutionalize im-
AP National Security Writer ment recommendations provements in this area.
WASHINGTON (AP) — De- from previous studies of the Earlier Thursday, a federally
fense Secretary Lloyd Aus- problem. funded think tank released
tin on Thursday ordered his Austin acted following a a report that said the U.S.
staff to quickly develop an wave of criticism of the military follows a flawed
“action plan” for improv- Pentagon for an airstrike and inadequate process
ing how the Pentagon limits in Kabul, Afghanistan, on for assessing and investi-
and responds to civilian ca- Aug. 29, 2021, that it initially gating suspected civilian
sualties caused by Ameri- termed a valid attack, de- damage and casualties
can airstrikes. He called spite 10 civilian deaths, but caused by U.S. airstrikes.
protection of civilians vital later acknowledged was The military’s own internal
to U.S. military success and a mistake in which the tar- reporting on civilian casual- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pauses while speaking during
a “moral imperative.” geted individual turned out ties can be unreliable and a media briefing at the Pentagon, Nov. 17, 2021, in Washington.
Austin said in a memo to se- to not to be a militant, as incomplete, and the staff Associated Press
nior civilian and military offi- first claimed by U.S. Central who are assigned to work tional data that are easily terize patterns of harm, and
cials that he wants the plan Command and Pentagon on civilian casualty issues accessible to command- identify specific measures
to reach his office within officials. are often inadequately ers, the military will be lim- to mitigate civilian harm
90 days. He said it should Austin also ordered the es- trained and supported, the ited in its ability to under- while preserving mission-ef-
outline steps the Pentagon tablishment of a “civilian RAND Corp. report said. stand the root causes of fectiveness and force pro-
will take, and the resourc- protection center of excel- “Without reliable opera- civilian casualties, charac- tection,” the report said.q