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January
13, 2006
Little Rock --
The U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services has awarded the Arkansas
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
$1,163,333 in funding to help mobilize the state in
preparing for an influenza pandemic.
This funding is part of $100 million funding for
all states for state and local preparedness.
According to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, the
funding is to be used by states to “accelerate and
intensify current planning efforts for pandemic
influenza and to exercise their plans.
The focus is on practical, community-based
procedures that could prevent or delay the spread of
pandemic influenza and help to reduce the burden of
illness communities would contend with during an
outbreak.”
This
award comes on the heels of an Governor Huckabee’s
announcement on
December 20, 2005
, when he ordered the Arkansas Department of Health and
Human Services to implement measures to be prepared for
a possible pandemic outbreak or other health related
emergency.
Concerning
the award announcement, Governor Huckabee said, “We
learned with Hurricane Katrina how important it is to be
prepared for a statewide disaster. Our health experts
agree a new influenza virus could emerge at any time.
This money from the federal government will help us here
in Arkansas to continue the efforts already underway to
plan for and deal with a possible pandemic flu
outbreak.”
In
response to the Governor's call for action to take
pandemic flu planning to a new level in Arkansas, DHHS
has been in contact with several state and local
agencies. Enhanced planning efforts are underway now.
The Division of Health (DOH) has discussed the issue
with the Homeland Security Executive Committee and plans
are being developed for an all-inclusive planning effort
that will reach out around the state. The Arkansas
County Judges Association, Arkansas Association of
Counties and the Arkansas Department of Emergency
Management are among the many state and local agencies
gearing up for this effort.
Steve Boedigheimer, DOH Deputy Director of Public
Health Preparedness,
said, “In
a pandemic, it’s likely that everyday activities such
as going to school or work will be influenced by the
need to implement practical steps to keep our citizens
as safe as possible under the
circumstances.
The time to plan for this is now.
We are working with our partners to educate, to
develop response strategies and to share some very
practical steps that we can all take to keep Arkansans
as health as possible by lessening the spread of
infection. This funding comes at a very opportune time
in our planning.”
In
addition, the Division is implementing the following
measures:
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DHHS
is in the final stages of the construction of an
emergency operations center housed at the Division
of Health to coordinate response during a crisis.
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A
Health Alert Network has been established to help
the division communicate with the healthcare
community about future scenarios.
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The
Viral Laboratory capacity has been strengthened and
construction continues on the new state of the art
health lab.
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A
series of regional forums will be held around the
state to involve community health, education and
business leaders in pandemic planning.
-
Governor
Huckabee and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human
Services Michael Leavitt will host a statewide
planning forum in early 2006.
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An
antiviral stockpile is being created to be used in
the event of a pandemic outbreak.
An
influenza pandemic occurs when a new strain of the
influenza virus emerges and spreads rapidly around the
world. A
substantial part of the world’s population requires
medical care and the health care system is overloaded
during the crisis.
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