Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness
Health emergencies pose some of the greatest threats to our nation, because they can be difficult to prepare for, detect, and contain. Important progress has been made to improve emergency preparedness since September 11, 2001, the subsequent anthrax attack, and Hurricane Katrina; three events that put severe stress on our public health system. However, major problems still remain in our readiness to respond to large-scale emergencies and natural disasters. The country is still insufficiently prepared to protect people from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or acts of bioterrorism, leaving Americans unnecessarily vulnerable to these threats.
TFAH publishes an annual report on public health preparedness called, Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, which examines America's ability to respond to health threats and help identify areas of vulnerability. TFAH also offers a series of recommendations to further strengthen America's emergency preparedness.
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness RSS Feed
TFAH Reports
December 2009
Ready or Not? 2009
Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
December 2008
Ready or Not? 2008
Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
October 2008
Blueprint for a Healthier America
Modernizing the Federal Public Health System to Focus on Prevention and Preparedness
March 2008
Ten Top Priorities for Prevention
December 2007
Ready or Not? 2007
Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Latest News
March 10, 2010
How disaster-ready are hospitals?
Much more so than in the past, but funding woes continue to be a problem, according to the seventh annual Trust for America's Health (TFAH) study on disaster preparedness and bioterrorism. Richard Hamburg, deputy director of TFAH, answers questions o
February 16, 2010
Local health officials hope to learn from H1N1 scramble
February 1, 2010
First national health security strategy released by HHS
January 12, 2010
Health Reform Revisionism
January 12, 2010
Preparedness for Catastrophe Lax; Complacency Rises
Policy Information
May 2009
Sign-on Letter in support of Public Health Emergency Response Act
April 2009
TFAH Letter in support of the Health Access and Health Professions Supply Act of 2009 (S.790)
April 2009
TFAH Comments to National Commission on Children and Disasters
February 2009
TFAH Testimony on Good Samaritan State of Emergency Liability Protection before Maryland House of Delegates
September 2008
Working Group on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Letter Urges Congress to Fund Pandemic Preparedness and BARDA
Press Releases
December 15, 2009
New Report: H1N1 Reveals Gaps in Nation’s Emergency Health Preparedness Efforts; Twenty States Score Six or Less Out of Ten Key Indicators
May 8, 2009
TFAH Commends President's 2010 Budget
December 12, 2008
Trust for America's Health Applauds New IOM Report on Improving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the 21st Century
December 9, 2008
Report Finds Economic Crisis Hurting U.S. Preparedness for Health Emergencies
More Than Half of States Score 7 or Lower Out of 10 in Readiness Rankings
Resources
Selected items from TFAH's Resource Library:
CDC on Emergency Preparedness and Response
U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's site, intended to increase the nation's ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.
CDC on Public Health and Natural Disasters
U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's site, intended to increase the nation's ability to prepare for and respond to disasters.
CDC on the Strategic National Stockpile
A CDC website offering background on the Strategic National Stockpile.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In 2008, CDC issued its first progress report on public health preparedness with state-by-state information.
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.
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