Public well being emergencies can strike at any time. Whether or not COVID-19 produces a brand new variant or a completely unrelated pandemic emerges, all of us need to reside in a spot geared up and able to deal with the following disaster.
A new report — “Prepared or Not 2022: Defending the Public’s Well being from Illnesses, Disasters and Bioterrorism” — suggests 17 states and the District of Columbia are able to carry out at a excessive stage through the subsequent well being disaster.
The report from Belief for America’s Well being makes an attempt to measure every state’s stage of preparedness for each dealing with a spectrum of well being emergencies and providing well being providers throughout such attempting instances, together with all the things from offering secure water to administering flu vaccines.
In line with the report, the locations within the U.S. which are able to carry out at a excessive stage through the subsequent disaster are:
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
Wanting on the record, it’s fascinating to see that it covers the gamut, states from all areas of the U.S. and people thought-about each “crimson” and “blue” politically.
Belief for America’s Well being says that previously yr, three states — Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina — improved their efficiency a lot that they jumped from the underside tier all the way in which as much as the highest.
The report positioned 20 states within the center tier, whereas 13 languish within the low-performing tier. These within the backside class are:
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
In a press launch, J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Belief for America’s Well being, says she hopes federal and state officers use the findings to determine gaps in public well being preparedness and take steps that can assist them higher defend lives and the economic system through the subsequent well being emergency. She says:
“The key takeaway of this report is that underinvestment within the nation’s public well being system, and assaults on its authority, have had lethal penalties through the COVID-19 pandemic. Motion and funding are urgently wanted.”
The report options quite a few coverage suggestions, together with:
- Urging the U.S. Congress and particular person states to offer extra funding for public well being, together with for infrastructure, information techniques and the general public well being workforce
- Asking Congress to create a COVID-19 fee to overview and handle gaps within the pandemic response
- Recommending that policymakers put money into vaccination infrastructure and antibiotic-resistance applications, whereas additionally offering paid depart for all employees
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