Congressional watchdog calls HHS approach to public health emergencies 'high risk'

The U.S. Government Accountability Office drew particular attention to the "incomplete and inconsistent" public health data federal agencies have relied on during COVID-19.

In the U.S. Government Accountability Office's ninth comprehensive report on the COVID-19 pandemic this week, the watchdog said "significant improvements are needed" when it comes to public health emergency response. Over the course of more than a decade, GAO had made 115 recommendations to HHS related to its response to public health emergencies. It also targeted the "incomplete and inconsistent" data HHS has relied on throughout the pandemic to respond to public health emergencies. "Under the existing process – which HHS has had to rely on during the COVID-19 pandemic – public health data are collected by thousands of different health departments and laboratories, as well as multiple federal agencies," said the GAO report. The GAO said that it would evaluate HHS' efforts to address public health emergencies against its "high-risk criteria."