Immediate Release
December 15, 2009
Little Rock—The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) today released its annual review of public health emergency preparedness and found Arkansas to be among the best in the nation, based on information obtained from independent sources.
The report found that 20 states scored six or less out of 10 key indicators of public health emergency preparedness. Nearly two-thirds of states scored seven or less. Eight states tied for the highest score of nine out of 10: Arkansas, Delaware, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Vermont.
The seventh annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), found that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies and that the economic crisis is straining an already fragile public health system.
Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, FACHE, Director of Health and State Public Health Officer, said that protecting the public’s health requires an on-going commitment by all of the partners in federal, state and local governments and the private sector to ensure that preparedness is a top priority.
“While we are pleased with our score, we know that being ready for public health emergencies is important to the health of all Arkansans. Whether it’s the H1N1 flu pandemic, or the ice storms, floods and tornadoes we have faced over the last few years, we must continue to build our capacity, train and plan for the future with care,” Halverson said.
A complete copy of the report is available on TFAH’s website at http://healthyamericans.org/ .
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