Executive Summary

abroad through destabilizing key institutions,

obstructing trade and human migration, slowing or

reversing economic growth, fomenting social unrest,

and complicating our response to refugee situations

by increasing the demand for humanitarian interven 

tion. They also have a potential association with

biological terrorism and warfare. 

DoD GEIS activities, which are performed under a

mandate to DoD contained in the Presidential

Decision Directive on Emerging Infections (NTSC 7),

occur in three primary settings: the Military Health

System (MHS); the DoD overseas medical research

units in Peru (NMRCD), Egypt (NAMRU 3), Kenya

(USAMRU K), Thailand (AFRIMS), and Indonesia

(NAMRU 2); and various training, leadership, and

COL Patrick W Kelly, Director, DoD GEIS

capacity building partnerships with regional military

commands and other governmental and international

agencies.

Completing its fourth year of operations during 2001,

the DoD Global Emerging Infections System (DoD 

The Presidential Decision Directive called for

GEIS) was hailed in an extensive formal program

implementation actions in several areas:

review by the Institute of Medicine of the National

Academy of Sciences as:

 Enhance the surveillance and response compo 

nents of our domestic and international public

 a critical and unique resource of the United States

health infrastructure. 

in the context of global affairs. It is the only U.S.

entity that is devoted to infectious diseases globally

Within the MHS, DoD GEIS has focused most of its

and that has broad based laboratory capacities in

resources on facilitating general improvements of the

overseas settings.  

military public health laboratory system, establishing

laboratory based surveillance for respiratory diseases

The powerful capabilities of DoD GEIS should be

and antibiotic resistance, and fielding for the National

seen as much more than enhancing military health

Capitol Region a near real time prototype syndromic

and readiness or even the health of Americans in

surveillance system for emerging infections to include

general.  As highlighted in the recent National

bioterrorism.  After 11 September 2001, this system,

Intelligence Estimate,  The Global Infectious Disease

the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early

Threat and its Implications for the United States, 

Notification of Community based Epidemics

emerging infectious diseases are a global security

(ESSENCE), was expanded from a pilot project to

issue.  They have the capability to harm U.S. interests

encompass more than 300 tri service Medical

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