Washington, D.C., May 4, 2006 — The American Public Health Association (APHA) today welcomes the federal implementation plan for pandemic influenza as the next logical step in preparing for this expected health crisis. However, APHA calls for greater funding to support the plan and encourages the administration to use its experience from other emergencies like Hurricane Katrina to innovatively address Americans’ expected health issues during a pandemic, such as ensuring continuity of health care, providing medical insurance and improving vaccine distribution.
APHA supports the government’s plan as a blueprint for a national response to a pandemic; however, the Association believes the basis of the plan prioritizes local self-sufficiency without providing the corresponding federal support to ensure that these communities will be successfully prepared. If these communities have to fend for themselves, they will lack the capacity to adequately protect themselves.
“The federal pandemic plan is a blueprint that we must make a reality with the appropriate funding and resources,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, APHA executive director. “We must now engage the individuals, families and communities who will respond and ultimately mitigate the effects of this health crisis. Our nation’s public health workers and institutions must be able to rapidly scale-up their efforts to respond to pandemic flu, and we strongly support an associated rise in funding to make that happen.”
The plan calls for $7.1 billion over several years. APHA urges the administration and Congress to ensure that the funding be made available more quickly and is sufficient to ensure that states and local governments have a thorough, well-planned response in coordination with the federal government’s direction.