What is the first point of the HHS Five-Point Opioid Strategy?

The first point of the HHS Five-Point Opioid Strategy emphasizes the importance of strengthening public health surveillance. This focus acknowledges that comprehensive and effective data collection is critical for understanding the scope of the opioid crisis, identifying trends, and informing policies and practices. By enhancing surveillance efforts, health officials can better track opioid use, misuse, and overdose rates, which enables a more informed response and targeted interventions.

Public health surveillance helps identify at-risk populations and geographic areas most affected by the crisis, guiding resources and interventions where they are needed most. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment and prevention strategies over time. Given the complexity of the opioid epidemic, robust surveillance is foundational for all other strategies, as it creates the evidence base necessary to support effective pain management, improve treatment access, and drive research initiatives.