https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated January 16, 2020
Department of Defense Global Health Engagement
Since the Spanish-American War, the Department of
Defense (DOD) has conducted global health engagement
(GHE) to prevent certain infectious diseases from
threatening U.S. national security or military operations.
Early GHE in partner nations and U.S.-controlled territories
included site visits by epidemiological survey teams and
establishment of DOD research laboratories to conduct
research and monitor emerging disease threats. As a result,
DOD has played a major role in discovering and developing
vaccines for numerous infectious diseases, such as yellow
fever, influenza, and most recently, Ebola.
What is GHE?
DOD policy defines GHE as activities that:
promote and enhance partner nation stability and
security;
develop military and civilian partner nation capacity;
build trust, confidence, and resilience;
share information and coordinate mutual activities;
maintain influence to enable implementation of the
certain military strategy and priorities; and
support U.S. national security objectives.
The policy also establishes a framework to align GHE to
one or more broad DOD objectives (see Figure 1).
These activities include in-person subject-matter exchanges,
embedded advisors with partner ministries of defense,
augmenting partner military capabilities to support civil
authorities, collaborative research efforts, live training
exercises, and direct medical care.
How does DOD organize its GHE?
Within DOD, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy,
through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special
Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD[SO/LIC])
provides guidance and oversight for all GHE programs.
ASD (SO/LIC) also leads the DOD GHE Council, which
coordinates GHE programs that span across DOD
components (e.g., military services, combatant commands,
defense agencies, joint staff). DOD GHE may also be
coordinated with, or in support of, interagency partners
(e.g., U.S. Agency for International Development,
Department of State [DOS], Department of Health and
Human Services [HHS], and Department of Homeland
Security [DHS]). Congress funds GHE through various
defense (e.g., operation and maintenance; research,
development, testing, and evaluation; overseas contingency
operations) and nondefense accounts (through interagency
transfers).
Figure 1. DOD Framework for GHE
Source: CRS adapted graphic based on DOD Instruction 2000.30, “Global Health Engagement Activities (GHE),” July 12, 2017, p. 4.
Note: R&D = Research and Development.
