Public Health Emergency Weekly Report

Public Health Emergency Weekly Report

From the ASPR Blog: Recovery in action

After a disaster strikes, the oddest questions pop up.  Communities have to answer them before they can move on with restoring, recovering and rebuilding.  This summer, Oklahoma was hit by more rain than it had seen since 1890 and it was slammed with tornadoes on top of that.  Those conditions were hard on people's health.  Find out how federal and state officials worked together to help communities find answers to tough health-related questions and start recovering.  Learn More >>

HHS enters into strategic alliance to accelerate new antibiotic development

Multiple drugs to combat bioterrorism threats and other life-threatening bacterial infections will be developed under a public-private partnership agreement between the ASPR and AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company. Supporting development of multiple drug candidates increases the likelihood that one or more will advance to the level at which the company can apply for FDA approval of the drug. Learn More >>

A different look at disaster health response exercises

Tracy Onchwari, a volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps, tells us how exciting a disaster exercise can be!  Tracy joined a MRC disaster exercise, complete with dummies that sweat, bleed and moan.  The experience helped prepare her to help out if a disaster strikes her community.  Watch Traci's Story >>

Are you proud of the way that teens support their communities by serving as health volunteers?  Show your support by joining the Thunderclap.

Plan to keep things clean after a disaster 

Hygiene is critical after a disaster - and not easy to maintain.  Whether it is food, water or hands, there are so many ways that things can become contaminated during a disaster and often limited options for getting things clean. Find out what you need to know about water, sanitation and hygiene before, during and after a disaster.  Learn More >> 

Miss the #Prep4Moms chat?  Don't worry! Check it out on Storify!

If you missed the #Prep4Moms chat, you can still learn simple strategies that pregnant women, new moms, and families with small children can use to prepare for disasters.  Just check out the conversation on Storify! We discussed ways to make an emergency kit and plan, have a smart conversation with your doctor or other healthcare provider, cope with stress, manage chronic conditions, and more.  Check out the Storify!