Public health threats cannot be contained by country boundaries. Their containment depends on a timely response and global preparedness planning. Therefore, every country should develop a core detection and response capacity, but also maintain a level of cooperation with other countries in order to ensure a reduction in the risk and vulnerability of the population

In respect to this, every country should strengthen its national public health preparedness capacity. The term "preparedness" covers all aspects, such as: prevention, protection, response and recovery. The term also covers the steps taken to minimise the threat of natural and man-made disasters including deliberate release of chemical, biological and radiological agents.

This lecture is developed under the Fulbright Grant for development of US-Macedonian Collaboration in Higher Education in the field of Global Public Health Security. The title of Fulbright Project is ”New educational Pathway for Global Public health Security”

(http://www.cies.org/schlr_directories/vsdir08/Publ39.htm)