Examining national public health law to realize the global health security agenda

The Global Health Security Agenda developed 11 action packages to help countries achieve agenda targets. This paper presents cross-national research to map the legal domains necessary to meet each action package in 20 sub-Saharan African countries. The study found that national legislation for health security is absent, outdated or insufficient to address current public health threats. Its findings can be applied to identify new or supplemental legal authorities and powers needed to strengthen existing frameworks and achieve targets.