Giuseppe
Emeritus
USA, GAO. February 2009. INFLUENZA PANDEMIC. Sustaining Focus on the Nation?s Planning and Preparedness Efforts (Excerpts)
United States Government Accountability Office - GAO
Report to the Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
February 2009. INFLUENZA PANDEMIC. Sustaining Focus on the Nation?s Planning and Preparedness Efforts
[Full Document at LINK. EDITED.]
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
Sustaining Focus on the Nation?s Planning and Preparedness Efforts
What GAO Found
Leadership roles and responsibilities need to be clarified and tested, and coordination mechanisms could be better utilized. Shared leadership roles and responsibilities between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) and other entities are evolving, and will require further testing and exercising before they are well understood.
Although there are mechanisms in place to facilitate coordination between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these could be more fully utilized.
Efforts are underway to improve the surveillance and detection of pandemic-related threats, but targeting assistance to countries at the greatest risk has been based on incomplete information.
Steps have been taken to improve international disease surveillance and detection efforts.
However, information gaps limit the capacity for comprehensive comparisons of risk levels by country.
Pandemic planning and exercising has occurred, but planning gaps remain.
The United States and other countries, as well as states and localities, have developed influenza pandemic plans. Yet, additional planning needs still exist. For example, the national strategy and implementation plan omitted some key elements, and HHS found many major gaps in states? pandemic plans.
Further actions are needed to address the capacity to respond to and recover from an influenza pandemic. An outbreak will require additional capacity in many areas, including the procurement of additional patient treatment space and the acquisition and distribution of medical and other critical supplies, such as antivirals and vaccines for an influenza pandemic.
Federal agencies have provided considerable guidance and pandemicrelated information, but could augment their efforts. Federal agencies, such as HHS and DHS, have shared information in a number of ways, such as through Web sites and guidance, but state and local governments and private sector representatives would welcome additional information on vaccine distribution and other topics.
Performance monitoring and accountability for pandemic preparedness needs strengthening. Although certain performance measures have been established in the National Pandemic implementation Plan to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these measures are not always linked to results. Further, the plan does not contain information on the financial resources needed to implement it.
GAO has made 23 recommendations in its reports?13 of these have been implemented and 10 remain outstanding. Continued leadership focus on pandemic preparedness remains vital, as the threat has not diminished.
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United States Government Accountability Office - GAO
Report to the Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
February 2009. INFLUENZA PANDEMIC. Sustaining Focus on the Nation?s Planning and Preparedness Efforts
[Full Document at LINK. EDITED.]
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
Sustaining Focus on the Nation?s Planning and Preparedness Efforts
What GAO Found
Leadership roles and responsibilities need to be clarified and tested, and coordination mechanisms could be better utilized. Shared leadership roles and responsibilities between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) and other entities are evolving, and will require further testing and exercising before they are well understood.
Although there are mechanisms in place to facilitate coordination between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these could be more fully utilized.
Efforts are underway to improve the surveillance and detection of pandemic-related threats, but targeting assistance to countries at the greatest risk has been based on incomplete information.
Steps have been taken to improve international disease surveillance and detection efforts.
However, information gaps limit the capacity for comprehensive comparisons of risk levels by country.
Pandemic planning and exercising has occurred, but planning gaps remain.
The United States and other countries, as well as states and localities, have developed influenza pandemic plans. Yet, additional planning needs still exist. For example, the national strategy and implementation plan omitted some key elements, and HHS found many major gaps in states? pandemic plans.
Further actions are needed to address the capacity to respond to and recover from an influenza pandemic. An outbreak will require additional capacity in many areas, including the procurement of additional patient treatment space and the acquisition and distribution of medical and other critical supplies, such as antivirals and vaccines for an influenza pandemic.
Federal agencies have provided considerable guidance and pandemicrelated information, but could augment their efforts. Federal agencies, such as HHS and DHS, have shared information in a number of ways, such as through Web sites and guidance, but state and local governments and private sector representatives would welcome additional information on vaccine distribution and other topics.
Performance monitoring and accountability for pandemic preparedness needs strengthening. Although certain performance measures have been established in the National Pandemic implementation Plan to prepare for an influenza pandemic, these measures are not always linked to results. Further, the plan does not contain information on the financial resources needed to implement it.
GAO has made 23 recommendations in its reports?13 of these have been implemented and 10 remain outstanding. Continued leadership focus on pandemic preparedness remains vital, as the threat has not diminished.
(...)
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