For Immediate Release:
May 25, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

Missouri Receives $1.89 Million for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
Local public health agencies to receive majority of funds for community efforts

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Missouri state and local public health agencies will receive $1.89 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve the state's ability to respond to pandemic influenza.

“Pandemic influenza could be the biggest public health challenge of our time,” said Julie Eckstein, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. “Every segment of society will be impacted so coordinated planning and response are imperative at the federal, state and local levels.”

Eighty-three percent of Missouri's funding will be directed to the 114 local public health agencies in the state, through contracts with DHSS that outline the guidelines and action steps. Agencies will be responsible for developing and testing their plans for responding to a pandemic event in their communities. The plans will be developed in close collaboration with community partners, and will include procedures for disease investigation, prevention of secondary infections, disease containment and distribution of mass prophylaxis. In addition, each agency will conduct a local assessment and gap analysis, designate locations where anti-viral drugs could be pre-positioned, and establish a local Pandemic Influenza Coordinating Committee. The contracts cover the period May 15, 2006 to December 31, 2006.

In conjunction with the grant award, DHSS will continue its work in coordinating Missouri's Statewide Pandemic Preparedness Committee, assure that the operational plans for pandemic influenza response are an integral element of the overall state and local emergency response plan, and exercise the state's preparedness plan.

Missouri has already taken significant steps to prepare for public health emergencies, including improved disease investigation, laboratory testing and public health and medical care response capabilities. Missouri's pandemic influenza plan builds on an established system of disease response often used during disease outbreaks, and is only one component of an all hazards emergency response plan designed to guide the response to any emergency.

“Missouri has many of the essential elements in place to protect the public from a public health emergency,” Eckstein said. “However, we must continue to strengthen our efforts for a pandemic influenza.”

The additional funding is one component of the Planning Resolution signed by Governor Blunt and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Alex Azar at Missouri's pandemic planning summit in February. More information on Missouri's pandemic flu readiness is available at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/PandemicInfluenza.