CenterWorks

The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Quarterly

Center for Excellence

Pandemics
A New Natural Disaster

When they hear the words "natural disaster", most people immediately think of hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, and the many other violent releases of energy that cause destruction, loss of life, and loss of property. However, the most deadly of all natural disasters to human beings is disease. History is full of examples of epidemics and pandemics. These events have utterly devastated entire populations and societies. From 1347 to 1350, the infamous Black Death killed 25 million people - one third of Europe's population. The population did not regain its pre-Black Death numbers until the 1600s. The Plague ravished England from 1665-1666. Hundreds of thousands of people died. At its peak in September 1665, more than 7,000 people per week died in London. From 1840 to 1940, tuberculosis was a worldwide disease that killed more than a billion people. The worldwide Spanish Flu of 1918 to 1919 took 50-100 million lives - and maybe more - in one year. The real death toll is unknown, because the reporting by European countries was unreliable as a result of the World War that was occurring: the combatants considered the numbers classified.

What is the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic? An epidemic is an outbreak of an infectious disease that appears as new cases in a given population, during a given time frame, at a rate that significantly exceeds what would normally be expected based on recent history. A pandemic is simply an epidemic that is worldwide or at least spread across a large geographic region. These diseases are caused primarily by bacteria, toxins, and viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently alerted public health officials around the world that there is a substantial risk of another influenza pandemic. They point to one of the most dangerous possibilities we face. The H5N1 (avian influenza) is a subtype of the Influenza A virus, which has the potential to mutate into variations that could be transmitted from human to human. Public Health experts are scrambling to determine national surge capacities, putting in place reliable surveillance systems in order to contain an outbreak before it becomes an epidemic, and looking for global manufactures to increase production of anti-viral drugs, antibiotics, and critical equipment for treatment and protection.

What are some simple practical precautions you can take, should a pandemic spread to your area?

  • Use latex gloves
  • Routinely wash your hands
  • Do not share eating utensils
  • Avoid public gatherings - Practice social distancing
  • Sneeze and cough into your arm, not your hands
  • Keep linens and clothing clean

What can you expect government authorities to do in order to protect the populations for which they are responsible? These actions may surprise you!

  • Institute medical surveillance activities
  • Conduct mass vaccination campaigns
  • Distribute anti-viral drugs and antibiotics
  • Restrict or prohibit public transportation
  • Set up isolation areas and mandate quarantine for populations exposed to infections

What is COE's contribution to the fight against a pandemic? The staff at COE is actively engaged in this stage of the fight against a potentially devastating natural disaster. The Pacific Disaster Management Information Network (PDMIN) compiles a weekly disease report, which is an important surveillance activity. The Medical Unit has placed a Disaster Planner and a Media Consultant at the U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters to assist with the civilian-military interface required in the event of an outbreak. They are currently advising the planning and strategic communications efforts of the Pacific Command. COE's Humanitarian Affairs and Practice unit and Civil-Military unit are supporting the overall effort with educational and consultative services.

At this stage, the most important thing we can all do is become educated about the threat and start preparing for it.

Medical and Public Health Unit

The primary goal of COE's Medical and Public Health Unit is to increase medical and public health expertise in the Asia-Pacific region. The unit works to expand international military operational capacity through innovative and creative solutions. This work positively impacts response to potential global health threats as well as health security threats. The dedicated Medical and Public Health Unit staff comes from diverse backgrounds. All the members have extensive international experience, and their areas of expertise include: clinical skills, administration, training, military medical operations, and international public affairs.

Activities of the Medical and Public Health Unit focus on the promotion and strengthening of regional contingency planning for threats including pandemic influenza and other public health issues. The unit works on implementation of the U.S. Pacific Command's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, which is an international military-to-military program. Additionally, the unit conducts training and education in COE's flagship CHART and TAP courses, along with the H.E.L.P. course. These courses are designed for military and civilian personnel to explore topics related to complex emergencies. The unit facilitates building of partnerships through military and civilian interaction on medical/public health initiatives. The unit organizes seminars and workshops on topics such as HIV/AIDS, disaster management, and pandemic influenza.

The Medical and Public Health Unit supports U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Cooperation priorities through the implementation of bilateral and multilateral military-to-military HIV prevention activities. The unit works to: create effective advocacy and sustainable HIV prevention efforts with partner militaries; effect HIV/STI-related behavior change within military forces and peacekeeping contingents from the Asia-Pacific region; progressively lower HIV incidence and prevalence rates among military personnel in the region; reduce HIV/AIDS risk to members of the regional armed forces and peacekeeping forces and also to vulnerable populations served by these personnel; and, strengthen skills of military personnel as advocates, trainers, and researchers so that coalition military partners can sustain HIV/AIDS prevention activities. The Medical and Public Health Unit is currently involved in programs with East Timor, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Some of the bilateral programs that COE executes are funded by the U.S. Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP). The mission of DHAPP is to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS among uniformed personnel in selected nations. The objectives of DHAPP are to assist in developing and implementing military-specific HIV prevention programs; and to integrate with other U.S. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and United Nations programs.

One of the Medical and Public Health Unit's bilateral programs is funded by another U.S. Government initiative to combat HIV/AIDS - the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a 5-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease in more than 120 countries around the world. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government is working with international, national, and local leaders worldwide to support integrated prevention, treatment, and care programs. A handful of nations are designated "focus countries" for PEPFAR activities. A modest portion of the funding is earmarked for military-to-military activities. COE's Medical and Public Health Unit is integrated into this important program, executing on behalf of U.S. Pacific Command, the military-to-military portion of the PEPFAR program in Vietnam - the only "focus country" in the Asia-Pacific region.

Another effort in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the Regional Training Center (RTC) in Bangkok, Thailand, a collaboration among the Royal Thai Army, U.S. Pacific Command /COE, and the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS). Established in 2003, the RTC is a 3,000-square-foot research laboratory, with full classroom facilities, and audiovisual and video-tele-conferencing capability. The curriculum, developed by the collaborating partners of the RTC and the University of Hawaii, includes both didactic work and hands-on (accommodative) learning. Courses are taught in a Train-the-Trainer format. Approximately two dozen countries, primarily from the Asia-Pacific region, have participated in training events at the RTC.

Through its Medical and Public Health Unit, COE pioneers ways to support and augment partner nations' activities to fulfill complex military medical and public health responsibilities. The Medical and Public Health Unit, in partnership with other COE units, continues to advance and improve its work by exploring current events and ideas to meet emerging civil-military public health needs. The unit's role is constantly evolving to adapt to emerging public health threats.

About Us | Contact Us | ©2007 Center for Excellence DMHA