NGA Center Releases Pandemic Primer
Recognizing that aggressive, comprehensive planning at the state level will be essential to effectively manage a pandemic influenza or other widespread disease outbreak, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has released “Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors and Senior State Officials.” A pandemic outbreak, should it occur, is likely to affect hundreds or even thousands of communities across the country simultaneously and could come in a series of waves, each lasting weeks at a time. State and local governments therefore must be prepared to manage their responses independently, without relying on the outside assistance that would be available for natural disasters or other localized incidents.
“Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza” stresses the need to look beyond the initial public health and medical response and develop strategies to ensure essential government and private sector servicessuch as police, fire, paramedic, food, water and electricityremain available during periods when a pandemic outbreak is at its peak and absentee rates are highest. The primer also calls for comprehensive planning that involves government agencies, businesses and individuals, each of whom will have a role to play in responding to a pandemic outbreak.
“The impact of a pandemic will be felt most acutely at the state and local levels,” said NGA Vice Chair Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, co-lead on Pandemic and Avian Flu. “Strong state leadership will be crucial. This document will help governors and state officials understand their unique roles in the development of an effective response plan and the challenges they face.”
In every state, governors and senior officials are at the forefront of protecting public health, maintaining critical services and infrastructure and leading the public from crisis to recovery. The primer outlines four key principles to guide governors in their ongoing efforts to shape effective response plans.
* The effects of a pandemic flu will be broad, deep and simultaneous, and states must focus resources to ensure continuation of essential services.
* Medical response capability in a pandemic will be limited, strained and potentially depleted during a pandemic.
* Government must work closely with the private sector to ensure critical operations and services are maintained.
* A pandemic will force many key decisions to be made in a dynamic environment of shifting events, and partnerships must be built now and tested to ensure appropriate and rapid action.
“Proper planning and training for a pandemic flu will produce wide-ranging benefits because the preparation involved is transferable to virtually any type of public health emergency,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, co-lead on Pandemic and Avian Flu. “Done well, pandemic flu planning will help the nation become better prepared for all types of hazards.”
To download a pdf copy of the primer, visit: http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0607PANDEMICPRIMER.PDF.