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Report
Shows Six Years of Critical
Achievement in Public Health
Preparedness
September
30, 2008
Contact
Becky Wexler
http://www.naccho.org/press/releases/press-releases-9-30-08.cfm
Washington
D.C. - If
a bioterror attack,
flu pandemic, or other
public health emergency
hit the United States
tomorrow, would state
and local health agencies
be prepared? Could
they quickly identify
the threat and take
the actions needed
to protect the public?
A new report, marking
the conclusion of National
Preparedness Month,
says "yes."
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"The
report warns that despite
the significant progress
that has been achieved,
threats remain and continue
to constantly change.
Much work remains to
be fully prepared for
all public health hazards."
Link
to report
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Public
Health Emergency Preparedness:
Six Years of Achievement, shows
how state and local public
health agencies have used six
years of federal funding to
turn the previously neglected
U.S. public health system into
a strong, coordinated, agile
mechanism for protecting the
health of the public.
The
new report was created by the
Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials, the National
Association of County and City
Health Officials, the Association
of Public Health Laboratories,
and the Council of State and
Territorial Epidemiologists
using comparative data collected
in 2002 and 2007. It illustrates
the great extent of planning
and training that has taken
place over this time. For instance,
in 2002, 11% of all states
had plans to deal with a major
health threat. Today, every
state has a comprehensive,
tested plan to protect its
residents' health. Local health
agencies with plans jumped
from 20% before 2002 to 82%
in 2007.
Public
health agencies are using rigorous
drills and exercises—the
same tools that have proven
most effective for the U.S.
military, law enforcement,
and firefighters—to test
and improve their systems.
One conservative estimate in
the report observes that state
public health agencies tested
their preparedness through
more than 700 exercises in
2007, and more than 90% of
all local health agencies tested
their new abilities in at least
one full scale exercise in
that year.
The
report also shows that these
new resources and capacities
are being put to the test every
day as public health agencies
save lives and protect the
public's health during major
E. coli and salmonella events,
shootings, tornadoes, floods,
fires, and infectious disease
outbreaks. More than half of
all medium and large local
health agencies responded to
at least one significant emergency
in 2007. More than a quarter
of state and large city health
agencies responded to six or
more major emergencies.
The
report warns that despite the
significant progress that has
been achieved, threats remain
and continue to constantly
change. Much work remains to
be fully prepared for all public
health hazards. Only through
sustained commitment to support
for public health preparedness
can states and localities continue
the important work of protecting
the public against catastrophic
health threats. Without it,
the United States faces the
erosion of its current progress
and an inevitable slide back
to the days when health agency
computers were obsolete, if
they even existed, staff lacked
the necessary training, and
emergency response took days
instead of minutes.
The
report can be downloaded at http://www.astho.org/pubs/PHEPPartnersReport.pdf
Contacts:
NACCHO:
Becky Wexler; BWexler@burnesscommunications.com;
(301) 280-5729
ASTHO:
Paula Steib; psteib@astho.org;
(571) 527-3173
APHL:
Jody Devoll; jody.devoll@aphl.org;
(240) 485-2745
About
ASTHO
The
Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials is the national
nonprofit organization representing
the state and territorial public
health agencies of the United
States, the U.S. Territories,
and the District of Columbia.
ASTHO members, the chief health
officials of these jurisdictions,
are dedicated to formulating
and influencing sound public
health policy and to assuring
excellence in state-based public
health practice.
About
APHL
The
Association of Public Health
Laboratories is a professional
association representing member
national, state, city, and
local public health, environmental,
and international laboratories
on issues of public health
importance. APHL's mission
is to promote the role of public
health laboratories in support
of national and global objectives,
and to promote policies and
programs that assure continuous
improvement in the quality
of laboratory practices. APHL
is dedicated to protecting
and preserving the health of
our nation, and to promoting
technology transfer in laboratory
practices to foster better
health globally.
About
CSTE
CSTE
is a professional association
of over 1,050 public health
epidemiologists working in
states, local health agencies,
and territories. CSTE works
to establish more effective
relationships among state and
other health agencies. It also
provides technical advice and
assistance to partner organizations,
such as the Association of
State and Territorial Health
Officials (ASTHO), and to federal
public health agencies such
as the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
CSTE members have surveillance
and epidemiology expertise
in a broad range of areas including
occupational health, infectious
diseases, immunization, environmental
health, chronic diseases, injury
control, and maternal and child
health. CSTE has a very diverse
and inclusive membership.
NACCHO
is the national organization
representing the nation's nearly
3,000 local health departments.
These agencies work every day
on the front lines to protect
and promote the health of their
communities. NACCHO develops
resources and programs and
promotes national policies
that support effective local
public health practice.
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