INSTRUCTIONS: I need this essay to evaluate the national status of the pandemic flu.
I need the following included:
-the nature,scope, history, risks and challenges of the crisis
-strategies for the planning, management and communication of an
effective crisis response
I need the following included:
-the nature,scope, history, risks and challenges of the crisis
-strategies for the planning, management and communication of an
effective crisis response
-discussion of environmental health policies addressing the crisis
including recommendations for policy changes and development
P.S. only use scientific or scholarly journals in your research
ESSAY ON THE
NATIONAL STATUS OF THE PANDEMIC FLU
We are not foreign to the fear and
threat that pandemic flu brings to our lives and homes. There have been several
cases we witnessed that had raised national and international concerns
regarding risk management and pandemic preparedness/awareness drives to further
mitigate the contiguous nature of the disease because aside from its being a
health hazard, negative consequences of a pandemic also extend to economic
wellness. Throughout the course of history, it is worth noting that as we
advance in time, the number of pandemic flu-related deaths is seen to decrease.
This I trust is a possible indication of improved preparation and risk
mitigating ability of US and even the world against pandemic flu.
There
are certain criteria the WHO uses as a guideline in declaring a pandemic flu
scenario and these are (flu.gov, 2013):
1.
The virus is new for humans and limited
or no immunity is present in the human
population
2.
The new virus has already infected humans
3.
The virus is highly transmissible from
human to human
WHO
also uses standardized alert levels that correspond with the risk assessment of
the global situation regarding the influenza virus possessing a pandemic
potential. History has witnessed a number of pandemic flu cases but it is worth
noting that it was during the latest A(H1N1) in 2009 that the World Health
Organization was able to first utilize its pandemic preparedness guideline or
the Pandemic Influenza Risk Management which was first published in 1999 (WHO,
2013, p. 3). By nature
influenza viruses are continuously evolving making influenza pandemics hard to
predict even if it’s recurring. Accordingly, new strains emerge from time to
time causing new influenza virus subtype with characteristics different from
all previous viruses that cause diseases in human population contiguous enough
to spread quickly and threaten the globe (flu.gov, 2013). Each emerging flu
virus brings experts to learn better knowledge with how to contain if not eliminate
the virus through vaccine and other measures.
Central to the
WHO is its Risk management plan that is prescribed to be adapted by its member
countries. In US, the Federal Government also follows a national protocol
mandated by the White House focusing on a strategy to address the threat of
influenza. Such response is segmented in three priorities: (1) stop, slow or
limit the spread of a pandemic to the United States; (2) limit the domestic
spread of a pandemic an mitigate disease, suffering and death; (3) sustain
infrastructure and mitigate impact of the economy and the functioning society
(HomelandSecurity Council, 2006, p.1). US maintain a rigorous surveillance
measure updated weekly to evaluate the flu activity in all its states. It suffices
to know that the government is very serious in its attempt to manage possible
flu outbreaks in all its states enabling it to act on the matter fast. The WHO on
the other hand notes that Member States had prepared for a pandemic of high
severity but appeared unable to adapt to their national and subnational
responses adequately to a more moderate event (WHO, 2013, p. 1). Lower levels
of the government must be trained and educated regarding flu outbreak
management. This I think is one important aspect the government should
prioritize.
References
World Health Organization, (2013) Pandemic Influenza
Risk Management: WHO Interim Guidance. http://www.who.int/influenza/preparedness/pandemic/GIP_PandemicInfluenzaRiskManagementInterimGuidance_Jun2013.pdf
Homeland Security Council, (2006),National Strategy
for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan http://www.flu.gov/planning-preparedness/federal/pandemic-influenza-implementation.pdf
Center for Disease Control, May 2013,Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
Flu.GOV, June 21, 2013, Pandemic Flu History, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
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