Center for Health Security applauds the bipartisan bill strengthening the nation’s planning and public-private coordination on diagnostics 

June 5, 2023 – The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security applauds Representatives Pence, Bucshon, Carson, and Schrier for their introduction of the bipartisan Diagnostic Testing Preparedness Plan (DTPP) Act. 

The DTPP Act aims to require the development of a diagnostic testing preparedness plan to be used during public health emergencies. The purpose of the plan has 2 main aims: 

1. To facilitate the development of diagnostics for use with respect to a novel chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threat or an emerging infectious disease, including any such high-throughput laboratory diagnostic, point-of-care diagnostic, or rapid at-home or point-of-use diagnostic.

2. To describe the processes for rapid development, authorization, scaling, procurement, and distribution of diagnostics.

The United States does not yet have a plan to fully ramp up and sustain testing capacity at the volume it will be needed across the country over the course of a major epidemic or pandemic. The DTPP Act addresses this critical gap by ensuring coordination between the government and the private sector to prepare for the massive and rapid scale-up of laboratory and point-of-care test development and testing capacity in future emergencies. 

This recommendation is in line with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s recommendations to the House and Senate concerning the importance of a National Diagnostics Action Plan, and, in particular, the establishment of a permanent public-private national testing coordination forum focused on preparedness and may accelerate the response to disease emergencies. To learn more about the National Diagnostics Action Plan and National Testing Coordination Forum, you may view a preprint of the report here.

Center Director Dr. Tom Inglesby states, “while we do not know what the next disease emergency will be, we know we will need diagnostic testing to identify and treat people, as well as limit the spread of disease.” He emphasizes that the DTPP Act is an “important step forward in making these tools available to healthcare providers and patients.”

“In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and again during the mpox epidemic, we saw experts from the public and private sectors work together to make a definitive diagnosis possible, doing extraordinary work in challenging times,” states Senior Scholar Dr. Gigi Gronvall. “This act is a great step because it makes these interactions routine and should make ramping up diagnostic testing for the next disease emergency smoother and faster.”

We commend Representatives Pence, Carson, Bucshon, and Schrier for their leadership and commitment to public health and will continue to work with the congressional and executive staff at all levels of government, health organizations, and other stakeholders to support policies and initiatives that promote public health and protect our communities.
 

For more information, please contact: Melissa Hopkins, Health Security Policy Advisor
For media inquiries, please contact: Cagla Giray, Communications Director