NPHW Kickoff and Preparedness Poll Release



Monday, April 2, 2007

Today marks the kickoff of National Public Health Week. This year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) dedicates the national observance to highlighting steps that vulnerable communities should take to prepare for public health threats, from natural disasters and disease outbreaks to acts of terrorism. Despite growing threats, Americans remain largely unprepared for public health emergencies. APHA is releasing results today of a national preparedness survey that found that only 27 percent of the public say they are very or fairly well prepared for an emergency, and 32 percent of the public have taken no special steps to prepare for an emergency situation such as a public health crisis. APHA is working to close the gap in current emergency preparedness to ensure all Americans are ready for the next disaster, View poll results here.

National Public Health Week 2007 is focusing on the theme “Take the First Step! Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable Populations.” The week will provide vulnerable populations with the tools they need to plan for health emergencies and overcome barriers to preparedness. APHA, its members and hundreds of national and local partners will host events throughout the country this week encouraging vulnerable populations to “Take the First Step” toward preparing for public health threats.

As part of this year’s campaign, APHA is asking its partners to:

  • Encourage families, schools and businesses to assess their level of preparedness and “Take the First Step” toward becoming better prepared to respond to a public health emergency;
  • Encourage local public health officials to learn about and implement comprehensive programs that promote emergency preparedness; and
  • Educate policy-makers about the importance of helping communities prepare for threats to public health and address the unique preparedness needs of vulnerable populations.

APHA has highlighted five core vulnerable populations that face significant challenges in protecting themselves against public health threats:

Population: Mothers with Children in the Household
Challenges: Mothers are a busy group. Preparing their families for a public health emergency competes with daily priorities such as getting children to school, helping with homework or just spending time with their children. However, there are ways for mothers to take the first step in developing a preparedness plan.

Population: Local Food Banks
Challenges: Local food banks are an essential part of the community, and become even more important in times of disaster. Preparing for public health threats before disaster strikes is vital to ensuring that food banks can operate before, during and after an emergency.

Population: Hourly Wage Workers
Challenges: Unlike salaried workers, hourly wage workers do not usually have employer-sponsored health plans or sick leave. Also, many of these workers lack the flexibility to telecommute or otherwise work off-site in the event of an emergency. In those instances, these individuals may not be paid and could otherwise be significantly impacted if public transportation is shut down and they cannot get to work.

Population: Schools K-12
Challenges: School administrators, nurses, teachers and staff have a multitude of responsibilities in the event of an emergency, including protecting each of their students. With school violence all too common, most schools have reevaluated their emergency preparedness plans, but perhaps not in regards to public health emergencies.

Population: Individuals with Chronic Health Care Needs
Challenges: People with chronic illnesses have unique health needs. Whether a person suffers from asthma, high blood pressure or cancer, it is important to consider the unique preparations needed to confront a serious public health threat.

In this Issue
  • Letter from HHS Sec. Michael O. Leavitt
  • What’s Happening Today
  • Take Action Today!
  • NPHW Blog Series
  • Resources

Letter from HHS Sec. Michael O. Leavitt

What’s Happening Today

  • NPHW Kickoff Preparedness Roundtable, “Re-Taking the First Step Toward Preparedness: Lessons Learned from Local Health Emergencies,” National Press Club, Washington, D.C. Click here to read press release.
  • Emergency Preparedness for Children, Public schools throughout Illinois
  • Public Health Preparedness: Do You Have a Plan? Lunch and Learn, Orlando, Fla.
  • Take the First Step! Household Preparedness Campaign, Helena, Mt.
  • Child Care Summit: Is Your Agency Prepared for Pandemic Influenza and Other Emergencies?, Portland, Me.
  • Mothers with Children in the Household roundtable, New Haven, Ct.
  • National Public Health Week Lecture Series, Richmond, Va.

Find out about other events around the country on the NPHW calendar. There is also a list of government agencies, health organizations, resources for teachers and other tools.

Take Action Today!

MONDAY: Mothers with children still living in the household.

Support initiatives like the bill that Representative Blumenauer (D-WA) introduced during the 109th Congress, the “Safe Communities Act of 2005”, which provided grants to states and local governments for the development of comprehensive planning documents, and incorporated strategies to mitigate natural and human-caused hazards, including terror threats and other natural disasters that would necessitate evacuation and response. Click here to contact Congress:

The following is a list of legislative policies, programs and initiatives that correspond with APHA’s National Public Health Week campaign to address the issue of preparedness for public health threats and emergencies. Click on the links below to contact your elected officials in support of these bills and programs.

Policy Asks to Improve Overall Preparedness:

1. Invest in the public health infrastructure. Fully fund comprehensive public health programs and infrastructure, which ensure access to basic primary health services for millions of Americans on both a day-to-day and emergency basis - addressing the diverse needs of urban, rural and underserved areas; and training health care personnel to provide needed services. Click here to contact Congress:

2. Develop Trauma Care Planning Systems for States and Localities. Support H.R. 727, Rep. Gene Green’s (D-TX) ‘‘Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act’’, which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop systems of care through sharing information among agencies and individuals involved in the study and provision of trauma care; and provide to State and local agencies technical assistance to develop, implement, and sustain emergency medical services. Click here to contact Congress:

3. Help first-responders communicate with one another. Support S.385, Senator Inouye’s (D-HI) “Interoperable Emergency Communications Act”, which provides the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) with guidance as it awards $1 billion in interoperable emergency communications grants to police, firemen, and emergency medical personnel. This bill would establish technology reserves to assist emergency response agencies in pre-positioning communications equipment in states or regional facilities. These reserves can be activated quickly in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster. Click here to contact Congress:

National Public Health Week Blog Series

In conjunction with APHA's Get Ready for Flu Campaign (link to www.getreadyforflu.org ) we will be featuring daily entries related to the daily themes and focuses of National Public Health Week on our Get Ready for Flu blog. Click here to read today's entry!

Click here to sign up to receive Get Ready for Flu blog entries delivered right to your e-mail inbox:

NPHW Resources

Resources for Teachers:

Other Tools and Resources:

APHA would especially like to thank our financial supporters who helped make this week possible.