In the Face of Swine Flu, Public Health System Doing OK
Over at the main CAP site, P.J. Crowley and Andy Grotto ask how well public health officials have done in responding to the international epidemic. Their assessment: the systems in place to protect citizens are working well. Detection, identification, and response are the central responsibilities, and they give local and federal agencies high marks.
They also make the case for international coordination and investment in health systems around the world: “Contagious disease knows no boundaries, a strong argument for why the United States should help build competent institutions of government in other countries, even during a period of economic turmoil.”
But they also point out that the effective response is in spite of decades of under-investment in our national public health infrastructure. Art Caplan put it like this last fall: “Our public health system is a wheezing, uncoordinated, underfunded eyesore. It needs to be rebuilt to face the challenges that 21st century living poses to health, ranging from asthma, to diabetes, to the flu. City and county health departments need federal help across the board. Proactive public health is a key element of our national security. The next administration should demand that Congress pay for it.”
Citizens can of course do their part. The CDC’s first recommendation is wash your hands. There are also a host of online resources that will let you learn about and follow the outbreak.
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