Medical intelligence
Medical intelligence (MEDINT) is a type of intelligence that includes collection, analyzing, and disseminating information on foreign medical, bio-scientific, and environmental information. The information developed is useful for strategic planning and to operational medical planning the conservation of the fighting strength of friendly forces and the formation of assessments of foreign medical capabilities in both military and civilian sectors.[1]. It can also include the health analysis of domestic facilities.
A worldwide assessment of health considerations is published from the National Intelligence Council; see CIA transnational health activities
Medical intelligence, on a worldwide basis, considerably overlaps with public health epidemiology
United States
Organization
For the United States intelligence community, the organization with principal responsibility for MEDINT is the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC) of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). There is a blurred line between the basic responsibility of epidemiology as practiced by civilian organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), general epidemiological research by military organizations such as the Navy Medical Research Units (NAMRU), and specific medical intelligence units.
Doctrine
For the U.S. military, it is not "any medical information of military importance; however, the term “medical intelligence” officially refers to finished intelligence on medical and related matters. By this definition, medical intelligence includes only finished intelligence products produced by an authorized intelligence agency such as AFMIC through the intelligence cycle."[2]
Medical Capabilities
Finished intelligence studies prepared on foreign countries that include, but are not restricted to, environmental health factors, diseases, civilian health services, and military health services. (Medical capabilities are different from the Medical Civilian Action Program.)
Disease Occurrence Worldwide
A monthly intelligence summary in electronic message format, provided as an unclassified message, supplemented by a separate classified message. The primary focus of the product is on militarily or strategically significant disease occurrences and events.
Scientific and Technical Intelligence Studies
Scientific and technical intelligence is not only a medical responsibility, but involves other strategic intelligence organizations. In the military, it consists of finished intelligence studies prepared by AFMIC on militarily significant life science issues and published and disseminated through DIA. Examples of generic topics covered include biological warfare and biotechnology.
Current intelligence
The AFMIC Wires summarizes current medical intelligence, including classified information to the SECRET level, which is sent electronically every 2 weeks to designated subscribers.
References
- ↑ US Department of Defense (12 July 2007), Joint Publication 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
- ↑ {{ | author = Joint Chiefs of Staff | contribution = Appendix B, Medical Intelligence | title = JP 4-02 Doctrine for Health Service Support in Joint Operations | date = 26 April 1995 | url = http://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/jp-doctrine/jp4_02(95).pdf}}