APHA Releases Prescription for Pandemic Flu
February 22 2007 - 10:51AM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Public
Health Association (APHA) today released its blueprint for
strengthening the nation's pandemic preparedness, amid persistent
concerns about a potential influenza pandemic. In its policy
summary, APHA recommends key changes to the nation's strategy for
preparing and responding to a flu pandemic to ensure the health and
safety of all individuals. Among its top concerns is the need for
additional resources for an already overburdened public health work
force that may lack the resources to fully respond to a flu
outbreak. Other needs include clear federal guidance on school
closures, quarantine and occupational health in the event of a
pandemic. It is not just the public health sector that should be
prepared for a pandemic, said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, APHA's
executive director. "The general public must be equipped with the
proper resources to prepare themselves in the event of a flu
pandemic," Benjamin said. "The better we prepare now, the better
our chances will be for protecting the health of Americans during
an emergency." APHA's recommendations include: -- Increasing
funding for states, localities, hospitals and public health labs to
expand their capacity to respond to pandemic flu; -- Increasing
investment in the public health work force, so there are enough
employees necessary to serve on the frontlines in preparing for and
responding to a pandemic and annual seasonal epidemics; -- Creating
emergency Medicaid coverage to ensure that uninsured Americans will
receive appropriate countermeasures and care in the event of
pandemic flu; -- Creating guidelines for the use of
non-pharmaceutical interventions, including handwashing, "snow
days," isolation and quarantine; -- Creating new methods to
purchase, distribute and track vaccines and antivirals; --
Incorporating occupational and mental health issues, such as
potential distress and sick leave from work, in pandemic planning
and response efforts; and -- Creating and implementing laws and
policies that grant federal, state and local health officers the
authority to make decisions about quarantine and isolation orders.
The full text of the pandemic influenza policy summary, APHA's
Prescription for Pandemic Flu, with all recommendations, is
available at
http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/APHA+Prescription+for+Pandemic+Flu.htm.
Preparedness is also the theme of APHA's recently launched Get
Ready campaign, which provides resources to help the public prepare
for a flu pandemic and outbreaks of other emerging infectious
diseases. The campaign includes fact sheets, podcasts and a blog
that provide readers with background information on avian and
pandemic influenza and practical advice on how to prepare
themselves, their families and their communities. Campaign
materials are accessible through the Get Ready Web site at
http://www.getreadyforflu.org/. APHA will also encourage Americans
to prepare effectively for public health threats, from bioterrorism
and natural disasters to disease outbreaks, during National Public
Health Week, to be held April 2-8, 2007. More information on
National Public Health Week is available at http://www.nphw.org/.
Founded in 1872, the APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse
organization of public health professionals in the world. The
association aims to protect all Americans and their communities
from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure
community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities
and preventive health services are universally accessible in the
United States. APHA represents a broad array of health providers,
educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health officials at
all levels working both within and outside governmental
organizations and educational institutions. More information is
available at http://www.apha.org/. DATASOURCE: American Public
Health Association CONTACT: Sabrina Jones of the American Public
Health Association, +1-202-777-2509,
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