The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49125

Byron Sogie-Thomas, MS, Office of Health Policy, Research and Professional Medical Affairs, National Medical Association, 1012 Tenth St NW, Washington, DC 20001, 202-347-1895, bsogie-thomas@nmanet.org and Diane L. Adams, MD, MPH, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Senior Medical Advisor, 6010 Executive Blvd. Suite 330, Rockville, MD 20852.

In the aftermath of the anthrax scare that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks, public health officials and administrators all over America have become more aware that we need to intensify our efforts in bioterrorism preparedness. However, many communities lack the resources necessary to adequately prepare public health personnel for this vital responsibility. If a National Bioterrorism Training Program were to be developed, that could be adapted to accommodate regional differences, then preparing the nation’s public health officials to deal with bioterrorism would become a much more timely and efficient process.

This presentation proposes core components of such a curriculum. They are as follows: a) community characteristics: an understanding of the demographics and political infrastructure of the community, as well as any other factors that make the locality unique b) scientific knowledge: an application of Federal guidelines regarding preparedness and prevention, in addition to fundamental epidemiological practice c) available resources: an inventory of all resources at the community’s disposal, from manpower and technical expertise to materials and supplies d) logistics: how to respond to a bioterrorist attack, given the particular resource capabilities of each community e) post-event transition: how to steer the community back toward normalcy once the response has run its course

The presentation will also discuss the merits of implementing such a program nationwide.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant (learner) should be able to

• identify the core components of the proposed National Bioterrorism Training Program
• articulate the merits of implementing such a program.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Training

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.