Influenza Pandemic Opportunities Exist To Address Critical Infrastructure Protection Challenges That Require Federal And Private Sector Coordination

Influenza Pandemic: Opportunities Exist to Address Critical Infrastructure Protection Challenges That Require Federal and Private Sector Coordination

Over the past several years there have been a number of reports to help the nation better prepare for, respond to, and recover from a possible influenza pandemic, which could result from a novel strain of influenza virus for which there is little resistance and which therefore is highly transmissible among humans. An influenza pandemic remains a real threat to our nation and the world. This report synthesized the results of 11 reports and two testimonies issued over the past 3 years using 6 key thematic areas: (1) leadership, authority, and coordination; (2) detecting threats and managing risks; (3) planning, training, and exercising; (4) capacity to respond and recover; (5) information sharing and communication; and (6) performance and accountability. Illus.

As the current H1N1 outbreak underscores, an influenza pandemic remains a real threat to our nation. Over the past 3 years, 12 reports have been issued and 4 testimonies to Congress have been held to help the nation better prepare for a possible pandemic. While a number of actions have been taken to plan for a pandemic, including developing a national strategy and implementation plan, many gaps in pandemic planning and preparedness still remain. This statement covers six thematic areas: (1) leadership, authority, and coordination; (2) detecting threats and managing risks; (3) planning, training, and exercising; (4) capacity to respond and recover; (5) information sharing and communication; and (6) performance and accountability. Illus.

According to the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), there are thousands of facilities in the U.S. that if destroyed by a disaster could cause casualties, econ. losses, or disruptions to national security. DHS issued the Nat. Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) in June 2006 to provide the approach for integrating the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. This report studied DHS's Jan. 2009 revisions to the NIPP in light of a debate over whether DHS has emphasized protection rather than resilience. The report discusses: (1) how the 2009 NIPP changed compared to the 2006 NIPP; and (2) how DHS addressed resiliency as part of their planning efforts. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.