White House releases updated national plan to combat human trafficking

The White House today released an updated national plan to combat human trafficking, which identifies priority actions to enhance the federal response over the next three years. Among other priorities, these include Department of Health and Human Services’ actions to establish and implement a national prevention plan; address forced labor in public health supply chains; and enhance the response to human trafficking of youth through grants, community partnerships and other resources. The plan also calls particular attention to the underlying social determinants of health that create disproportionate risk for trafficking among communities of color, women and girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, and populations more susceptible to exploitation.

The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative has been a leader along with many of its member hospitals and allied hospital associations in encouraging hospitals and health systems to continue their exemplary work combating human trafficking and caring for its victims. For resources to support hospital and health systems in their efforts to combat human trafficking, visit the HAV webpage.