PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE

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ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE

In July 2002 Madison County Health Department began to receive federal funds that were allocated specifically for better preparing public health to respond to bioterrorism events, natural occurring disasters, new and emerging infectious diseases, and disease outbreaks.

Madison County Health Department has always been responsible for preventing the spread of reportable diseases through the community but now the health department must be able to meet new challenges, faced within today’s global community. Public Health must be able to respond and act to such threats such as SARS, West Nile Virus, and the terrorist actions. The responsibility of this division is related to helping the health department become better prepared and able to meet these new challenges by 1) planning and building stronger infrastructures, 2) monitoring disease trends or symptoms trends to identify changes early and implement early interventions, 3) liaison with nontraditional partners, like the police and emergency management, to handle together what disasters/events that may occur, and 4) by bringing information to the public health work force and/or the public in areas of previous unknowns, such as chemical and radiological weapons.