05Jun / 2017

June is National Safety Month – Stand up to Falls

Senior couple walking together in a forest

Every 20 Minutes June brings summer to our doorstep, along with National Safety Month. This year’s theme encourages us to “Keep Each Other Safe.” One of the best ways to keep each other safe is to “Stand Up to Falls.”

Adults 65 and older are the most vulnerable for falls and falls are the number one cause of injuries and injury deaths in this age bracket. As 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day, more and more of us will have family, friends, and neighbors who age into this high risk pool.

Older adult falls are truly a growing problem. Although many seniors are more active and living longer, more than 1 in 4 report falling. Emergency departments treat over 3 million older Americans for falls each year while direct medical expenses add up to more than $31 billion annually. As falls and fall injuries are increasing, chances have also increased that you know someone who has fallen this past year.

What can you do to Stand Up to Falls?

Fortunately, falls are preventable and we can all take steps to protect the health and wellbeing of older Americans. To assist, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to helping older Americans age safely and without injury. This means ensuring that older adults and those who care for them have the tools and resources needed to assess their fall risk and information on how to effectively reduce that risk.

CDC encourages all older Americans to:

Speak Up – Falls can cause severe injury and loss of independence. Therefore it’s important to talk openly with your healthcare provider about falls and your health goals. Healthcare providers are well positioned to screen for fall risk, using evidence-based tools such as those included in the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) initiative, assess modifiable fall risk factors (e.g., poor balance, the use of certain medications, vision impairment), and to offer effective strategies to help their patients prevent a fall so that they can meet their health goals.

If you are a friend or caregiver of an older person, encourage them to speak up and talk to their doctor if they have fallen, feel unsteady, or worry about falling. They should also ask about vitamin D supplements for improved bone, muscle, and nerve health. CDC has fall prevention resources available for older adults and those who care for them, such as the brochures, Family Caregivers: Protect Your Loved Ones from Falling and Stay Independent: Prevent Falls.

Make Your Home Safe – Most falls happen at home, so it’s important for older adults to check their homes – inside and out – for safety. CDC offers a brochure, Check for Safety that includes a fall prevention checklist. This list contains simple preparedness actions that often get overlooked:

Get rid of things you could trip over.
Add grab bars inside and outside of your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
Put railings on both sides of stairs.
Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs.

Keep Moving – Older adults can reduce their risk of falling by improving their balance and strengthen their legs. CDC encourages older adults to keep moving and stay active with evidence-based activities like Tai Chi. Exercise and movement can also make you feel better and more confident. Check with your healthcare provider about the best type of exercise program for you or your loved one.

Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Encourage older adults you know to take steps toward living longer and healthier lives. Let’s continue to keep each other safe during National Safety Month and stand up to falls!

Resources

23May / 2017

Think it’s a stroke? 4 reasons it’s better to call 9-1-1 than drive yourself to the hospital

Paramedics

Posted May 22, 2017 by Lieutenant Commander Erika Odom, Ph.D., M.S., United States Public Health Service

Stroke—also called a “brain attack”—can happen to anyone at any time. On average one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes. Most strokes happen when blood flow to the brain is blocked, causing brain cells to die. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of long-term disability.

Your best chance for surviving a stroke and having a full recovery is getting to the hospital quickly. But did you know that 1 in 3 stroke patients doesn’t call an ambulance? Instead, they may not recognize they’re having a stroke, try to wait to see if their symptoms go away, or may try to drive themselves or have another person drive them to the emergency room. All of these things actually increases your risk for disability and death.

Learn why it’s always best to call 9-1-1 if you think that someone is having a stroke.

1. EMS gets you to the hospital faster. You may think that you’ll get to the hospital faster if you drive yourself or have a loved one drive you during a stroke. But the truth is, the EMS professionals on board may be able to start your treatment right away. Think of calling 9-1-1 as bringing emergency room resources to your door. Ambulance drivers also have the right of way when they use lights and sirens.
2. EMS saves precious time once you reach the hospital. You are more likely to be treated quicker at the hospital when you arrive by ambulance. This is because, on the way to the hospital, EMS professionals begin your treatment by:
  - Screening you for stroke symptoms.
  - Monitoring your heart rate and blood pressure.
  - Getting information about any medicines you take, your medical history, or other important information a medical team needs to know.
  - Calling ahead to the hospital to let the medical team know a stroke patient is arriving. This gives the hospital team time to prepare equipment and medicines that you may need.
3. You can get an important drug to treat stroke if you call 9-1-1. When it comes to stroke, time lost is brain lost. Every minute a stroke goes untreated, a patient loses nearly 2 million brain cells. Because stroke is often caused by a blood clot, a clot-busting drug such as alteplase is an effective treatment if you get to the hospital in time. But clot-busting drugs can only be given to patients within 3 hours of a stroke. EMS professionals responding to a 9-1-1 call about stroke will ask the patient and any bystanders questions about when the symptoms started, giving the medical team critical information about whether the patient can be treated with the clot-busting drug. At the hospital, you are also more likely to get alteplase if you arrive by ambulance. Many stroke patients who need the drug don’t get it, because they wait too long to call 9-1-1 or get to the hospital too late for treatment.
4. EMS can get you to a hospital that specializes in stroke treatment. When stroke happens, getting to any hospital is important. But some hospitals are better equipped than others to treat stroke patients. Hospitals that specialize in stroke, like certified stroke centers, have developed standards of care for stroke patients and may have more staff, medicine, and equipment for treating stroke on hand. There are more than 1,000 certified stroke centers nationwide. Find a stroke center near you.

Stroke happens to nearly 800,000 Americans a year. Don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 right away if you suspect a stroke is happening to you or someone else because that is the best chance at survival, treatment, and recovery.

May 21–27 is National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. Learn how CDC’s Coverdell Program works with EMS professionals and state organizations to improve stroke care and save lives.

Posted May 22, 2017 by Lieutenant Commander Erika Odom, Ph.D., M.S., United States Public Health Service

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27Feb / 2017

Stockpile Expert Helps Responders Prepare for Emergencies

Tom Jackson touring proposed medical materiel storage site in Yaounde, Cameroon in March 2015. — Tom Jackson touring proposed medical material storage site in Yaounde, Cameroon in March 2015.

In the United States, most of us take it for granted that if we need medicine – cough syrup, aspirin, or even most antibiotics – we can just run down to the pharmacy and get it. That’s because our medical supply chain – the series of organizations, companies, and systems that make sure those shelves are stocked – works well. In an emergency, we even have a stockpile of medicines on hand and people with the skills and resources to deliver it anywhere in the United States within 12 hours.

In many parts of the world, it can be hard to even get the basics.

One of the essential goals of the Global Health Security Agenda is to create a structure for sending and receiving medicines and materials (medical countermeasures) and staff between international partners during public health emergencies. As a senior training advisor for the Strategic National Stockpile, my job is to help responders in other countries figure out how to make their supply chains work in any type of public health crisis. The stockpile has hosted medical supply chain workshops in developing countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda and Cameroon.

Every link in the chain is critical

From L to R – Tom Jackson, Joe Vital, and Michael Ayres: DSNS facilitators for medical countermeasures workshop at Ethiopia Public Health Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2016. — From left to right – Tom Jackson, Joe Vitale, and Michael Ayres: DSNS facilitators for medical countermeasures workshop at Ethiopia Public Health Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2016.

In a crisis, every link in the chain has to be working properly.

For example, if there’s a disease outbreak, what good is it to send a team to take a sample if you can’t ship that sample to a lab?

Or maybe there’s a nearby lab, but the lab workers don’t have the equipment or training to process the sample. How do you figure out what you’re up against and what supplies to order?

And, finally, if the supply chain can’t get the necessary medicines and supplies to the people who need them, all the other response achievements don’t matter. It all has to be in place, and it all has to work together.

Every emergency – and every place – is different

If every emergency were the same and required the same resources, figuring out how to help people would be easy and no one would ever have to suffer due to a lack of medicine or supplies.

But every place in the world is different, both in the risks people face and the resources they have available. I always tell responders to ask the right questions: What emergencies are most likely to happen? And what can we do to make the supply chain work better?

Let’s say there’s a large-scale public health crisis, and a ship full of medical supplies comes into the harbor. But, there’s not a single dock to unload it. What good are those supplies? However, if there’s even one dock – even if it’s not the best dock – people can unload the ship and deliver help. Improving any part of the supply chain helps.

Any plan is better than none

When I travel to other countries, I tell responders that any plan, even an imperfect plan, is better than no plan at all. In a crisis, we don’t want to be starting from scratch.

What will you do when you’re used to receiving and distributing 20 pallets of medicines and materials and all of a sudden you receive 200…or 2,000? These are the kinds of questions countries should be able to answer before disaster strikes.

Also important is to practice and exercise response plans ahead of time so everyone knows what to do. In the United States, the stockpile partners with state, territorial and local public health to conduct large-scale exercises that simulate a real emergency. This kind of practice is critical to identifying gaps in the plan.

So, in a nutshell, what is it I do? I help countries ask the right questions, plan, and find the resources they need to respond quickly and efficiently. And why do I do what I do? Because I believe this is how we stop outbreaks close to the source and keep epidemics from spreading around the world.

This story illustrates our commitment to implementing the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which aims to improve the world’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. CDC is partnering with 31 countries around the world to reach the goals of the GHSA, including having a national framework for transferring (sending and receiving) medical countermeasures and public health and medical personnel among international partners during public health emergencies.

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05Jul / 2016

Global Health Security: How is the U.S. doing?

Joint External Evaluation team in Washington DC — The Joint External Evaluation Team joins U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) colleagues in front of the Humphrey Building, Washington DC, May 2016

A team of evaluators takes an independent look at our systems

The Story Behind the Snapshot

At first glance, this photo taken on a set of concrete steps in Washington, D.C., may look like an ordinary group shot—but it took an extraordinary series of events to make it happen.

The photo shows colleagues from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standing alongside a team of 15 international experts from 13 different countries, known as the Joint External Evaluation Team. The team had been invited by the U.S. government to assess how well the country is prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to major public health threats. The goal was to receive an independent and unbiased evaluation of our capabilities.

We would never have arrived at this moment without these things: a wake-up call, a historic agreement, and a renewed commitment to work together to protect the world’s health.

Leading up to now: A brief timeline

Near the turn of this century, the emergence of diseases like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H5N1 influenza was a big wake-up call and showed the world more clearly than ever that a health threat anywhere is a threat everywhere — what affects one country affects us all.

Eleven years ago, countries came together to sign the International Health Regulations (IHR), a historic agreement which gave the world a new framework for stopping the spread of diseases across borders. The IHR obligates every country to prepare for, and report on, public health events that could have an international impact.

However, five years after the IHR went into effect, nearly 2/3 of countries were still unprepared to handle a public health emergency.

Two years ago, the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) gave countries common targets they can work toward to stop infectious disease in its tracks. This led to the need for the Joint External Evaluation Team, an independent group that travels to countries to report on how well public health systems are working to meet global health security goals.

Last October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) began working together to arrange for the team to visit the U.S.

In May, the team’s five-day visit took place. Two days were spent in Washington, D.C., assessing federal response capabilities. The remaining three days were spent at CDC, because the agency works in nearly all of the 19 technical areas included in the evaluation.

On the final day of their visit in Atlanta, the evaluation team shared their preliminary results. The final, full report is now available online.

What the team found

In the final report, the assessment team concluded that, “the U.S. has extensive and effective systems to reduce the risks and impacts of major public health emergencies, and actively participates in the global health security system established by the IHR.” They recognized the high level of scientific expertise within CDC and other federal agencies, and the excellent reporting mechanisms managed by the federal government.

They also identified opportunities for improvement in some areas, such as:

Combining and utilizing data from multiple surveillance systems, including systems that monitor human, animal, environmental, and plant health
Conducting triage and long-term medical follow-up during major radiological disasters
Communicating risks quickly and consistently with communities across the country
Improving overall One Health surveillance systems for antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases

They specifically recognized the challenges any federal public health system faces, and advised the U.S. to continue improving the understanding of the IHR among different federal and state agencies. Their observations will help drive improvements for programs throughout CDC and the nation.

The U.S. requested this unbiased review of its response capabilities and hopes that the entire world will do the same.

For More Information

Global Health Security Agenda: https://ghsagenda.org/
Joint External Evaluation: https://ghsagenda.org/assessments.html
CDC and the Global Health Security Agenda: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/ghsagenda.htm
Global Health Security: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/ghs/index.html
International Health Regulations: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/ghs/ihr/index.html

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30Jun / 2016

Safeguarding Deadly Pathogens and Poisons

Bioterrorism is not a new threat. One of the earliest recorded uses of biological weapons dates back to the 6^th century B.C., when Persian armies poisoned wells with a fungus. Modern threats, however, are more complex and could cause widespread devastation. The anthrax attacks of 2001 focused our nation on making sure especially dangerous pathogens and poisons (which we call select agents and toxins) are being handled safely and are protected at all times.

Select Agents 101

Common examples of select agents and toxins include the germs that cause anthrax, bubonic plague, and smallpox, as well as toxins like ricin. The Federal Select Agent Program currently regulates 65 select agents and toxins. If handled incorrectly – or in the hands of the wrong people – select agents and toxins can pose a severe threat to the health and safety of people, plants, or animals. While some select agents are normally found in the environment and don’t cause human disease, many of them – if manipulated or released in large quantities – can cause serious health threats.

What is a select agent? — Click to see the full infographic.

Why we handle dangerous pathogens

While it might be easier to avoid handling deadly pathogens and poisons in the first place, scientists have to work with them in order to better understand how to protect people from their effects. Research leads to discoveries that save lives – for example, when we create vaccines to protect from exposure to smallpox or when we’re able to track mutations of killer diseases like Ebola.

Research with select agents and toxins is done in labs that are registered with the Federal Select Agent Program, which is a partnership between CDC and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). As of 2015, nearly 300 labs were registered to handle these materials. Labs can be run by academic institutions, the government (federal or non-federal), or commercial or private entities.

Keeping safe, staying secure

To keep select agents and toxins safe and to prevent them from being stolen, lost, or accidentally or intentionally released, the Federal Select Agent Program (at the request of the U.S. Congress) created a set of regulations known as the Select Agent Regulations. Registered labs are responsible for following these regulations. To ensure that this is taking place, labs must undergo regular inspections so the program can find and help fix any safety or security issues.

We also provide registered labs with technical assistance and guidance, and help prepare for natural disasters or national events by making sure all materials are properly secured. Within the labs, all individuals who work with select agents and toxins must first undergo a security risk assessment performed by the FBI. This helps guard against anyone who may wish to misuse the agents.

What if there’s an accident?

The good news is that the vast majority of labs are doing well in following the regulations and keeping workers safe. In the event that a potential exposure occurs, the Federal Select Agent Program is immediately notified and takes action to help reduce risks and prevent it from happening in the future. In 2015, no potential exposures resulted in illness, death, or transmission, either among lab workers or people in the surrounding communities.

With the proper safeguards in place, we can help keep select agents in the right hands as we learn how to protect people from the deadly illnesses they cause.

2015 Annual Report and Key Findings

In June 2016, the program published its first annual report of key data from across the program. The 2015 Annual Report of the Federal Select Agent Program demonstrates the program’s ongoing commitment to increasing transparency and understanding of the work done by the Federal Select Agent Program to regulate laboratories working with select agents and toxins. To learn more about the report’s findings, please see our infographic and visit our web page.

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22Mar / 2016

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

With spring weather and mosquito season coming soon in the United States, the Zika virus – and the mosquitoes that carry the virus – may be a major concern. Zika is currently affecting more than 30 countries and territories in the Americas and Pacific Islands. Zika virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. People and communities can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in their homes and communities to protect themselves from Zika.

How Does Water Help Mosquitoes Breed?

Aedes aegypti is known as a “container-breeding mosquito” because it likes to lay eggs in and around standing water. Studies show that female mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs in water that collects or is stored in manmade containers.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes lay eggs on the walls of water-filled containers. Eggs stick to containers like glue and remain attached until they are scrubbed off. The eggs can survive when they dry out—up to 8 months. When it rains or water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week.

Reduce mosquitoes at home

Here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent mosquitoes from living and breeding around your home.

Remove standing water

Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs inside and outside of your home. Items in and around people’s homes can collect water. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out containers that hold water, such as

Vases
pet water bowls
flowerpot saucers
discarded tires
buckets
pool covers
birdbaths
trash cans, and
rain barrels.

These actions can help reduce the number of mosquitoes around areas where people live.

Follow safe water storage tips

If water must be stored, tightly cover storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside and laying eggs.

Reduce mosquitoes in the community

Communities also can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the chances of spreading disease.

Build systems that distribute safe water

If people have access to clean and safe water in their communities, they will not need to store it in and around their homes. Research has shown that when community-wide distribution systems are built, the number of mosquitoes decreases, because water is not being stored near areas where people live.

Improve sanitation

When water is contaminated with organic matter (for example, human or animal waste, grasses, and leaves), the chances that mosquito larvae will survive may increase because contaminated matter provides food for larvae to eat. Sanitation departments and wastewater treatment plants remove organic wastes and treat water with chlorine or other disinfectants. These activities may decrease mosquito populations and, simultaneously, prevent diarrheal diseases.

*Basic sanitation includes access to facilities for the safe disposal of human waste, and the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection, industrial/hazardous waste management, and wastewater treatment and disposal.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene* (WASH) are critical to keep people healthy and prevent the spread of many different disease, including Zika. World Water Day recognizes the importance of safe drinking water and improved sanitation and hygiene in the health of our world’s population.

Learn more about World Water Day at www.unwater.org/worldwaterday and visit www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global for more information about CDC’s efforts to ensure global access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene.

For more information on the Zika virus, and for the latest updates, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.

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22Mar / 2016

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

How Does Water Help Mosquitoes Breed?

Reduce mosquitoes at home

Here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent mosquitoes from living and breeding around your home.

Remove standing water

Vases
pet water bowls
flowerpot saucers
discarded tires
buckets
pool covers
birdbaths
trash cans, and
rain barrels.

These actions can help reduce the number of mosquitoes around areas where people live.

Follow safe water storage tips

If water must be stored, tightly cover storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside and laying eggs.

Reduce mosquitoes in the community

Communities also can take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the chances of spreading disease.

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

For more information on the Zika virus, and for the latest updates, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.

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17Feb / 2016

From the Field: CDC’s Field Assignment Program

When faced with unexpected outbreaks and emergencies like zoonotic plague, Ebola, or contaminated cilantro that causes cyclosporiasis, Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFOs) are the experts in the field. One of CDC’s newer field assignment programs, the CEFO program is made up of highly skilled professionals assigned to state, territorial, and local health departments across the country to strengthen nationwide epidemiologic capacity and public health preparedness. CEFOs accomplish this mission while supporting day-to-day operations and emergency response activities of health departments. Being in the field and embedded in the public health networks of the area, CEFOs are on the front lines where emergencies typically begin and end: the local level.

The CEFO program was launched in 2002 to boost public health surveillance, epidemiology, and response efforts following 9/11 and the 2001 anthrax attacks. As of November 2015, 34 CEFOs are assigned to 27 state, territorial, and local public health programs. CEFOs bring a direct CDC connection to the state and local level. Public health agencies request CEFO assistance for an initial 2-year commitment, after which they can extend annually. Selecting a CEFO with the right background and skillset for a specific agency’s needs is important for success.

What do CEFOs actually do?
Although CEFOs have diverse professional backgrounds (physicians, veterinarians, scientists, nurses, and health services), all are experts in applied epidemiology. CEFOs have either completed training through CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) or have comparable practical experience. Agency assignments vary, but CEFO priorities include rapidly identifying and halting the spread of disease outbreaks and other public health threats. CEFO’s accomplish this mission through enhancement of public health surveillance, strengthening outbreak response, conducting epidemiologic investigations, and development of the public health workforce. They serve as liaisons between health departments, local and state emergency response partners, healthcare providers, and CDC. CEFOs also develop and implement jurisdictional preparedness plans for emergency situations. For instance, one CEFO is currently analyzing data to identify potential health threats and prioritize resource distribution following severe droughts in California. CEFOs use epidemiological tools to help guide public agencies towards fast and effective responses that can address the health needs of the community.

Do you want to be a CEFO?
According to CDC CEFO Supervisor, Brant Goode, CEFOs tend to be two things: highly personable and very intelligent. Though being a CEFO can be extremely rewarding, working as a CEFO does pose challenges. Goode provides a few tips to future CDC CEFOs:

Utilize the data. Understanding the demographics and other aspects of a jurisdiction’s public health is a great way to tailor preparedness and response efforts to the population. Along with learning from healthcare providers and health department staff, using census and public health data to learn about the area can aid in planning and implementation.
Be clear about roles. CEFOs are federal officers meant to strengthen a jurisdiction’s mission. Because CEFOs support both CDC and their jurisdiction, working well with diverse partners is crucial for success.
Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Working as a CEFO can be very rewarding, but also challenging. Going from the federal level to the state or local levels can come with a steep learning curve at an accelerated speed. CEFOs should be prepared to serve in emergency management roles.
Accept agency support. The CDC, partnering jurisdictions, and fellow CEFOs can provide support to CEFOs in completing their mission. Utilize resources and refer to previous cases for best practices, as well as past mistakes, to improve efficiency and prevent “wheel reinvention.”

CEFOs serve as CDC’s frontline defense against public health threats. Through expertise in applied epidemiology, they continue to improve nationwide preparedness to respond to all types of public health emergencies.

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13Jan / 2016

Global Health Security Agenda

The Plan for 2016: CDC and the President’s Global Health Security Agenda

2015 was a powerful reminder that a health threat anywhere is a health threat everywhere. In 2016, CDC and partners are looking forward to continuing work on the President’s Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), an initiative led by the Department of Health and Human Services.

In 2012, only 1 in 6 countries reported being fully prepared for disease outbreaks. As the Ebola epidemic in West Africa tragically demonstrated, it is often the countries with the fewest resources who are hit hardest by public health emergencies. To better protect people everywhere, the United States has committed more than $1 billion over the next 5 years to help 31 countries better prepare for the health impacts of natural and man-made disasters. More than half of this historic investment will focus on the continent of Africa to help prevent future outbreaks.

World map of pixels in gray and light gray — **There are 31 GHSA countries:** Bangladesh • Burkina Faso • Cameroon • Cambodia • Côte d’Ivoire • Democratic Republic of Congo • Ethiopia • Georgia • Ghana • Guinea • Haiti • India • Indonesia • Jordan • Kazakhstan • Kenya • Laos • Liberia • Malaysia • Mali • Mozambique • Pakistan • Peru • Rwanda • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Tanzania • Thailand • Uganda • Ukraine • Vietnam

Global Health Security Agenda Goals

The vision of GHSA is to stop disease outbreaks as quickly as possible. Partners will work together to build a global network that can respond rapidly and effectively to disease outbreaks and help countries build their own capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies.

The GHSA focuses on accelerating progress toward a world safe from disease threats by supporting enhanced surveillance and biosecurity systems, immunization campaigns, and curtailing antimicrobial resistance. Establishing national laboratory and disease reporting systems will help detect threats early. In addition to building epidemiologic and laboratory workforce capacity, GHSA also focuses on incident management system training and establishing emergency operations centers around the globe.

As President Obama said at the Global Health Security Agenda Summit in 2014, “We issued a challenge to ourselves and to all nations of the world to make concrete pledges towards three key goals: prevent, detect, and respond. We have to prevent outbreaks by reducing risks. We need to detect threats immediately wherever they arise. And we need to respond rapidly and effectively when we see something happening, so that we can save lives and avert even larger outbreaks.”

CDC’s Role in Global Health Security
CDC is improving preparedness and response internationally by building close relationships with ministries of health and other public health partners abroad to encourage public health and emergency management capacity building. The agency also provides GHSA countries with resources such as funds, administrative support, and dedicated personnel, including experts in emergency response, electronic surveillance systems, and specific health threats. CDC also links emergency response efforts to recovery efforts to ensure systems and processes that have been put in place for one response can be ready for the next public health emergency. A person is giving another person a vaccine.

Ebola has reminded us that to protect its citizens, each country should be equipped with a core set of public health capabilities to detect a threat when it emerges, respond rapidly and effectively, and prevent it wherever possible. All countries need to be prepared, since disease monitoring and emergency response begin at the local level. Local responses will be quicker, more efficient, and more cost-effective than responding from a great distance. However, epidemics do not stay within borders and are not the problem of individual countries or regions. GHSA is an important step toward helping build capacity in other countries and ensuring that when national capacities are overwhelmed, the world moves immediately and decisively to contain the outbreak.

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05Nov / 2015

CDC’s Emergency Management Specialists

CDC's Emergency Operation Center Meet Mark Hall, an emergency management specialist in CDC’s Division of Emergency Operations in the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. As part of the Plans, Training, Exercise, and Evaluation Team — Mark and his team make sure CDC is prepared for emergencies and assesses how the agency performs during a response.

Being ready to respond to national and international emergencies takes practice. Large-scale exercises are held across CDC, with federal partners, and at the state and local level. Mark and his colleagues are part of the team that evaluates the exercises that CDC administers. They ensure that exercise mimics real-world events and after the exercise, evaluate what worked and what needs to be improved. In an emergency response, the team also monitors the way in which CDC is conducting the response to see if any activities need to be tweaked. As part of the monitoring and review processes, the team looks at everything from the processes for deploying people and supplies, to the logistics and operations of CDC’s emergency operation center. This job requires strong analytical and communication skills and the flexibility to switch from exercise to emergency response mode when the need arises.

Mark Hall sits down with the Director of CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response to talk about his job as an emergency management specalist — Mark Hall sits down with the Director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response to talk about his job as an emergency management specalist

Public Health Matters sat down with Mark to learn a little more about his job in emergency management and what has best prepared him for his important role at CDC.

How does your work help improve CDC’s ability to respond to emergencies?

Mark say, his job is to evaluate CDC exercises and response efforts to ensure that the agency continues to improve. The evaluations conducted by Mark and his team after each exercise, whether a CDC-wide exercise or for a specific group, help to identify issues and areas for improvement. Mark emphasizes the importance of not only finding ways to improve CDC’s emergency response work, but also recognizing the good work is being done. “During these after-action reviews we also want to focus on the successes, not just what we did wrong, and communicate what worked best to the rest of CDC,” says Mark.

What has best prepared you for this job?

For Mark, his 20 years in the military and a background in operations, planning, and training helped prepare him to work in CDC’s Division of Emergency Operations. “I enjoyed the idea of going from operations, plans, exercises, and training focused on military and combat to a focus on public health. As an emergency management specialist I still get to focus on doing good work for my country, my nation, and even for the world,” says Mark.

During his military career, Mark had the opportunity to travel to many different countries including Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Going overseas, meeting different people, and experiencing different cultures has helped with working on emergency responses, including deploying oversees as part of CDC’s response to the West Africa Ebola epidemic.

CDC's emergency operation planning team meets to review and incorporate feedback from CDC exercises and after action reports — CDC’s emergency operation planning team meets to review and incorporate feedback from CDC exercises and after action reports

What are important skills needed for your job?

“You have to be flexible. We know that there’s a hurricane season every year that’s recurring. However the majority of the events that require a CDC response occur without prior notice, and we have to be ready to respond,” says Mark. Having the ability to adapt to different emergency responses quickly is a crucial component of CDC’s ability to react to public health threats and emergency as soon as they arise.

What do you like most about your job?

“When programs make changes based on recommendations after exercises or a real-life event, it really shows that the work has had an effect. It is also rewarding to hear news stories or friends and family talking about the domestic and global work that CDC is doing and knowing you’re a part of that work.”

PHPR: Health Security in Action

This post is part of a series designed to profile programs from CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

CDC’s Emergency Management Specialists are part of the CDC’s Public Health Preparedness and Response’s (PHPR) Division of Emergency Operations.

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Category Archives: PHPR: Health Security in Action

June is National Safety Month – Stand up to Falls

Think it’s a stroke? 4 reasons it’s better to call 9-1-1 than drive yourself to the hospital

Stockpile Expert Helps Responders Prepare for Emergencies

Every link in the chain is critical

Every emergency – and every place – is different

Any plan is better than none

Global Health Security: How is the U.S. doing?

Safeguarding Deadly Pathogens and Poisons

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

Remove standing water

Follow safe water storage tips

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

Zika, Mosquitoes, and Standing Water

Remove standing water

Follow safe water storage tips

Build systems that distribute safe water

Improve sanitation

From the Field: CDC’s Field Assignment Program

Global Health Security Agenda

CDC’s Emergency Management Specialists

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