Recognizing that aggressive, comprehensive planning at the state level will be essential to effectively manage a pandemic influenza or other widespread disease outbreak, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) released Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors and Senior State Officials.

According to the report, pandemic preparedness involves more than stockpiling pharmaceuticals and planning for surges of patients at hospitals. A severe pandemic will affect all sectors of society: high rates of worker absenteeism could affect the operations of water treatment facilities and power plants; efforts to slow or stop the spread of the disease could limit the availability of food, cause schools to be closed for significant periods of time, and create economic hardships for state and local governments, business owners, and individuals.

In every state, governors and senior officials are at the forefront of protecting public health, maintaining critical services and infrastructure, and leading the public from crisis to recovery. The primer outlines four key principles to guide governors in their ongoing efforts to shape effective response plans.

• The effects of a pandemic flu will be broad, deep and simultaneous, and states must focus resources to ensure continuation of essential services.
• Medical response capability in a pandemic will be limited, strained, and potentially depleted during a pandemic.
• Government must work closely with the private sector to ensure critical operations and services are maintained.
• A pandemic will force many key decisions to be made in a dynamic environment of shifting events, and partnerships must be built now and tested to ensure appropriate and rapid action.

According to the report, proper planning and training for a pandemic flu will produce benefits even if a pandemic proves very mild or does not occur because the preparation involved is transferable to virtually any type of public health emergency. Done well, pandemic flu planning will help the nation become better prepared for all types of hazards.

Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors and Senior State Officials is available at http://www.blr.com/keyword. Type in fna1006_fluprep when prompted.