On December 3, 2021, the White House released the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (Action Plan), advancing a comprehensive anti-trafficking agenda by strengthening prevention efforts, protecting individuals who have experienced trafficking through intervention and support, and holding traffickers accountable through prosecution. The Action Plan brings particular attention to the unique and diverse experiences that contribute to the disproportionate vulnerability of human trafficking among marginalized communities. The Action Plan underscores how combating human trafficking is directly intertwined with wider efforts to eliminate racial, gender, and sexual disparities impacting the social determinants of health.
To effectively combat human trafficking, the Action Plan emphasizes the importance of collaboration as a core component of its framework. The Action Plan calls upon agencies across the U.S. government to synergize anti-trafficking efforts at the national level. This collaboration includes incorporating the knowledge of individuals with lived experience to enhance policies and programs. Multiple agencies and offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners; non-government organizations; and private sector stakeholders to strengthen prevention, protection, and prosecution efforts on human trafficking. Read OTIP’s Information Memorandum to see a full list of HHS-specific commitments outlined in the Action Plan.
To learn more about the Action Plan, read the White House Fact Sheet , the HHS Press Release , and the full National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (PDF).