The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has released a new report that builds on previous research off of global catastrophic biological risks, or GCBRs. The report, titled Technologies to Address Global Catastrophic Biological Risks, centers on modern technology that can be used to respond to GCBRs. The report points...
When major disasters strike in your community, who are you going to call? That’s right, the Police. No matter the problem, no matter the circumstances, a uniformed officer from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) will arrive on scene to serve and protect. But when the dust settles often times...
Most readers will recall where they were when they first heard the news: “Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting Leaves 28 Dead”. A wave of grief and horror poured over the American public as the news spread. “On December 14, 2012, one of the most vicious and incomprehensible domestic attacks in American...
Trust for America’s Health partnered with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to release “Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases 2014” this month. The report uses the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD) to identify shortcomings in the nation’s ability to manage severe infectious disease threats. The study...
The National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI) is one the nation’s premier utilities for assessing the performance of American health care systems. NHSPI recently released its National Index Results for 2014. The data evaluates health care systems on the basis of six domains, 18 sub-domains, and 194 different proficiency measures within...
“In today’s globally connected society, an infectious disease epidemic anywhere can soon become an emergency everywhere.” On October 6, 2014, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued Executive Order RP79, authorising the creation of the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. This task force is a direct result of the Ebola cases...
Intelink, the United States Intelligence Community’s group of secure intranets, maintains a blog publication of multiple open-source unclassified articles, documents, maps, and directives relating to the current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. This publication is the Intelink Ebola Digest. Updates have occurred weekly since September 8, 2014. Sources in the...
Ebola virus disease (EVD, also known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) causes an acute, serious illness that carries a fatality rate of around 50%. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), EVD first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in Sudan, the other in Democratic Republic of Congo, more...
Nearly two years ago, Superstorm Sandy hit the Northeast claiming 72 lives and nearly $50 billion in estimated damage. Within the 40 counties declared disaster areas of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, hospitals were found to be ill-prepared. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Inspector General Office...
Severe disease pandemic can disrupt the security and stability of the United States, and it is essential to be prepared for such an event. Many quarantine and disease preparedness programs have been reviewed lately in light of the Ebola outbreak in Africa. On August 26, 2014, the Department of Homeland...
