150956 Are We Prepared for Pandemic Avian Influenza?

Wednesday, November 7, 2007: 2:30 PM

Ronald William Manderscheid, PhD , Constella Group, Mental Health and Substance Use Programs, Bethesda, MD
           
With the passage of each season and the annual migration of wild bird flocks, the threat of pandemic avian influenza (PAI) is growing in the United States. The purpose of this presentation is to assess the current status of that threat, to examine the implications for mental health infrastructure and preparedness, and to review the current status of Federal and State preparedness. Mental health infrastructure, currently inadequate, will be severely stressed by PAI. In addition, considerable risk communication work is needed now to avoid future panic. Although all States have PAI plans (see www.panflu.gov), many of these plans are inadequate to the challenges that are anticipated. Plan deficiencies will be reviewed and potential remedies identified in this presentation. In the final analysis, personal survival may very well depend upon how well these plans actually work at the local level. Hence, the topic of PAI is one of the most urgent to be addressed at the 2007 Annual Meeting.

Learning Objectives:
Learning objectives include: 1. Learning basic information on the current threat of pandemic avian influenza 2. Understanding the role of mental health infrastructure and preparedness 3. Understanding the current status of State and Federal preparedness.

Keywords: Disasters, Access and Services

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Not applicable

Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
Constella Group, LLC Federal Research Consulting Employment (includes retainer)

Any company-sponsored training? Yes
Did the company pay your travel and lodging? Yes
 Were you provide you with slides as part of the training sessions? No
 Did you receive an honorarium or consulting fee for participating in the training? No
 Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Panel Discussion on the Mental Health Consequences of Disasters
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