Respond to at least one peer by supporting agreement or polite disagreement and adding additional information and ideas to further the discussion.( write me up a paragraph responding to this post below ).
The selected emergency
The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), more commonly known as Ebola, is a naturally occurring disease that is spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, the handling of bats and primates in regions affected by Ebola and objects contaminated by infected fluids. The virus usually enters the body through broken skin and mucus membranes and can range from severe to fatal (Centers for Disease Control, 2015).
Preparedness and public health policies that address the emergency
The 2014-2015 West African Ebola outbreak was responsible for 11, 325 deaths worldwide (CDC, 2019). The first case was identified in Guinea December of 2013 and by September 2014, it had reached the shores of the United States. The Centers for Disease Control responded quickly to the emerging outbreak in West Africa by activating its Emergency Operations Center in July 2014, to coordinate disease efforts with local and global partners. The CDC trained 6, 500 healthcare professionals in the United States and 24, 655 in West Africa on how to care for patients with EVD as they were the most likely to contract the virus by caring for the infected (CDC, 2019). There was screening done at airports in West Africa and the United States in order to prevent the virus from spreading to other countries. Even with these efforts, the disease managed to spread to a few countries in limited quantities. The screening policies adopted by airports in West Africa played an important part of minimizing the spread of this deadly virus to the rest of the world. The 2018 National Biodefense Strategy outlines the course for the United States to combat the biological treats (natural or otherwise) that the country may face (phe.gov, 2020). It aims to reduce the impact of bio-incidents by improving communication and reaction time to the threat. As a national effort, the National Biodefense Strategy requires the participation of local, state, federal, Tribal, community, physicians and practitioners in order for it to be successful and beneficial.
Analyze local, state and federal agencies in addressing this emergency
In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services is usually responsible for responding to biological disasters. The CDC often plays a leading role as they are experts in the field of infectious diseases and pathogens. The CDC works with local governments to get pertinent information to the people in the community in order to keep them safe. As mentioned previously, the CDC activates its Emergency Operations Center when it is required for health emergencies and outbreaks either local or abroad. In June 2019, the CDC activated its Operations Center to assist with the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (CDC, 2020). The activation possibly stopped the spread of the virus and saved many lives. The CDC is capable of working with many world governments in an effort to reduce and prevent biological outbreaks that threaten lives. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is mostly mobilized with natural disasters in order to render aid to individuals. They have many resources and are able to mobilize medical professionals and social workers alike if they are required for that situation.
One change to improve preparedness policies
I believe that more TV and radio advertisements on the dangers of EVD would be beneficial to slowing the spread of the virus in the case of an outbreak. Increasing the health education and literacy of the population will arm people with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their families. Health literacy has been associated with better self-care but unfortunately the information available is insufficient or inadequate (Castro-Sanchez et al, 2015). Making the information easy to understand by using familiar language will be beneficial to the public and will likely lead to widespread compliance. Including information about early surveillance can be a game changer in the amount of people infected by the virus. If people know that multiple animals dying suspiciously in a precursor to an outbreak then they will be more cautious.
The state and federal government should also make the information on diseases available before there is an outbreak as a preventative method. If they provide the information in layman terms in multiple languages and in American Sign Language, then people will be prepared in case of an outbreak.
