2. CHAPTER OVERVIEW
(1 OF 2)
Describes what public health preparedness is
and the scope of events that can lead to a public
health emergency
Describes the threats from and history of the use
of weapons of mass destruction
3. CHAPTER OVERVIEW
(2 OF 2)
Defines public health threats from biological agents
and naturally occurring diseases
Describes the key federal, state, and local policies
and laws that support public health preparedness and
the infrastructure that has been built to support
preparedness activities at the federal, state, and local
levels
4. DEFINING PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
(1 OF 3)
“[P]ublic health emergency preparedness . . . is the
capability of the public health and health care
systems, communities, and individuals, to prevent,
protect against, quickly respond to, and recover
from health emergencies, particularly those whose
scale, timing, or unpredictability threatens to
overwhelm routine capabilities. Preparedness
involves a coordinated and continuous process of
planning and implementation that relies on
measuring performance and taking corrective
action.” – RAND Corporation
5. DEFINING PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
(2 OF 3)
Public health emergencies fit into four basic
categories:
Intentional or accidental release of a chemical,
biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agent
Natural epidemics or pandemics, which may involve a
novel, emerging infectious disease, a re-emerging
agent, or a previously controlled disease, or may occur
in areas with limited infrastructure or resources
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes,
floods, or fires
Manmade environmental disasters, such as oil spills
6. DEFINING PUBLIC HEALTH
PREPAREDNESS
(3 OF 3)
The World Health Organization’s Revised
International Health Regulations define a public
health emergency of international concern as “an
extraordinary event which is determined . . . to
constitute a public health risk to other States
through the international spread of disease and
to potentially require a coordinated international
response.”
Such an emergency can involve any of the four types of public health
events, as long as it has the potential to cross borders.
7. PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS POLICY
(1 OF 4)
While government officials have long been aware
of public health emergencies and the need for
coordinated action to detect, report, and respond
appropriately, the U.S. preparedness
infrastructure did not truly take shape until after
the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The two initial, significant organizational changes:
Establishment of the federal Office of Homeland
Security and the Homeland Security Council within the
White House
Creation of the Department of Homeland Security
8. PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS POLICY
(2 OF 4)
In addition to the creation of DHS, many existing
government departments and agencies
established new offices, expanded existing ones,
and redirected resources toward preparedness
and homeland security.
The following agencies and offices are most
directly linked to public health preparedness policy
at the federal level:
– Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
and Response
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
9. PUBLIC HEALTH
PREPAREDNESS POLICY
(3 OF 4)
– National Institutes of Health
– Food and Drug Administration
– Department of Agriculture
– Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of
Investigation
– Department of Defense
10. PUBLIC HEALTH
PREPAREDNESS POLICY
(4 OF 4)
These agencies and offices are charged with
enforcing many statutes, regulations, and
policy guidance documents that form the
foundation of public health preparedness.
11. PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
FEDERALISM
(1 OF 3)
Public health preparedness requires cooperation
among multiple levels of government.
Public health professionals recognize that most
public health activities occur at the local and
state level.
This is codified by the 10th Amendment of the
Constitution: “The powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people.”
12. PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
FEDERALISM
(2 OF 3)
States have a responsibility for developing their
own emergency preparedness plans, and all
have some level of planning and preparedness
training in place.
13. PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
FEDERALISM
(3 OF 3)
Preparedness efforts at the state level focus on the
unique threats, challenges, assets, and populations
specific to particular jurisdictions. States that are
subject to relatively more frequent hurricanes may
have well-developed plans to address that particular
hazard, while landlocked states far from oceans may
have better-developed plans for other disasters. States
will also take into account the particular demographics
of their region when planning how to address
vulnerable populations, nursing homes, and schools in
emergencies.
