Human Services in Disasters and Public Health Emergencies: Social Disruption, Individual Empowerment, and Community Resilience

Author(s):  
Juliana Sadovich ◽  
Jonathan D. White
2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Demetrios L. Kouzoukas

This paper provides an overview of recent US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiatives and efforts — under the leadership of the General Counsel, the Secretary, and the President — regarding legal preparedness for public health emergencies. In addressing this topic, the paper focuses on four core elements comprising public health legal preparedness:(1)effective legal authorities to support necessary public health activities;(2)competencies of public health professionals to know and then to apply those laws;(3)coordination of the application of laws across jurisdictions (local, state, tribal, federal, and international) and across multiple sectors; and(4)information and best practices in public health law.


2021 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 03013
Author(s):  
Shuang Liu ◽  
Yixi Wang ◽  
Zixiao Li ◽  
Dandan Zhang ◽  
Kuntai Yu

In order to monitor the level of community resilience and the quality of the living environment under public health emergencies, 13 communities in Xingfu Street, Dujiangyan City are taken as the empirical research objects, and the PSR model-entropy method is used to construct a community-based public health emergency prevention and control resilience assessment model to explore the existing problems of the community’s epidemic prevention capabilities and the quality of the human settlement environment. The results show that: ①The resilience level and the quality of the living environment of the series of communities under Xingfu Street are generally average, and there are big differences in resilience between communities. ②In the construction indicators, “Total per capita income loss” and “Proportion of population over 65” have significant negative impact, “Application level of new prevention and control technology”, “Number of community medical staff”, “Proportion of medical staff with intermediate and above titles”, “ Exchangeability and sharing of health information resources” and “Number of hospital beds” have significant positive impact. ③The resilience of the prevention and control of public health emergencies in the community is most significantly affected by medical resources, but the community medical resources are generally scarce and the development is not coordinated. Xingfu Street series communities should focus on improving the level of basic medical services, promote resilience building in stages, and realize the organic combination of dynamic epidemic prevention and sustainable development.


Author(s):  
Marie-Helen Maras ◽  
Michelle D. Miranda

AbstractIn the fall of 2014, the US was faced with the reality that a deadly, foreign virus had entered its borders. Ebola, a disease thought to be of little threat to the US yet classified as a major bioterrorism agent, became a reality for the American government and its citizens. The introduction of Ebola unveiled many deficiencies in the country’s health care system, international travel policies, and ability to control or restrict the movement of exposed individuals in order to protect the larger population. The need to review and establish legal guidelines and policies to deal with these deficiencies is paramount: the inherent lack of training and education; weaknesses in monitoring, maintenance, and treatment; and the lack of uniform guidelines to isolate international travelers have all demonstrated that the country may not be able to control a larger-scale threat in the future.


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