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Biosecurity Briefing
National Governors Association Evaluates States’ Pandemic Preparedness By Kunal Rambhia, March 14, 2008 On February 28, 2008, the National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) released an interim report to evaluate the level of pandemic preparedness of states. The report was based on five regional pandemic workshops held by the NGA Center between April and August 2007 which included participation of 27 states and territories. The workshops employed discussions, economic analyses, and tabletop exercises to identify preparedness gaps in “non-health-related areas such as continuity of government, maintenance of essential services, and coordination with the private sector.”1 In a news release on February 28, the NGA Center Director, John Thomasian, noted that “states will be the front line of defense in the event of a pandemic outbreak.”2 According to NGA, the report is intended to show, “that states are taking proactive measures to improve their readiness and protect their citizens.”2 The report highlights the understanding that states have of the “complex nature of a pandemic” and the economic and social consequences.1 However, it also identifies holes in state preparedness, including:
The report cites specific examples of how states have prepared and how they could improve preparedness. The report concludes that “all states have dramatically increased their awareness of the potential consequences of a pandemic” but there is “a lack of coordination among state, federal, and private planning efforts.”1 Specifically, states have not “effectively tested or demonstrated” their strategies and plans, which is a challenge for moving states “from awareness to preparedness.”1 The report recommendations include introducing mechanisms for cooperative planning and developing exercises that test state strategies.1 References
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