1 / 27

Pandemic Influenza – Alberta Prepares

Pandemic Influenza – Alberta Prepares. Safer Communities Forum 2007 Brad Andres, Alberta Emergency Management Agency November 27, 2007. What is Influenza?. Influenza is… A respiratory viral infection Its typical signs and symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, cough

Download Presentation

Pandemic Influenza – Alberta Prepares

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Pandemic Influenza – Alberta Prepares Safer Communities Forum 2007 Brad Andres, Alberta Emergency Management Agency November 27, 2007

  2. What is Influenza? • Influenza is… • A respiratory viral infection • Its typical signs and symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, cough • Its complications: pulmonary or cardiac, more severe in the elderly, persons with chronic conditions, newborns and infants • It transmits easily from person to person, either by droplets, or close contact

  3. What is Pandemic Influenza? Pandemic -an epidemic over a large area e.g. country, continent, world Pandemic Influenza - is a new virus that causes severe illness and spreads easily between people

  4. History of Influenza Pandemics • Since 1500s influenza pandemics have occurred 3-4 times per century • 3 influenza pandemics occurred in the last century: • Spanish Flu of 1918 (H1N1); • Asian Flu of 1957 (H2N2); and • Hong Kong Flu of 1968 (H3N2). • Each pandemic is different and varies in the degree of severity.

  5. Avian Influenza Why is it so important? • 1997, Hong Kong: A new avian influenza virus (H5N1)… • …then another wave in 2003… • …then another wave in 2004… • …then declared endemic in the bird population since December 2004. • Humans can get infected with the avian (bird) strain, yet rarely. • No significant human to human transmission of this bird strain… yet.

  6. Avian Influenza

  7. Human Cases .

  8. Kitchen in Rural China

  9. Current Pandemic Risk for H5N1 • Susceptible human population • Novel virus in avian and animal populations • Virus is infectious for humans • Virus is highly pathogenic (high mortality) • Efficient human-to-human spread

  10. Alberta’s Preparedness Strategy A ‘health’ emergency that can turn into a ‘general’ emergency – impact to society as a whole A cross-ministry response is required to ensure the Government of Alberta (GOA) and the province is adequately prepared and able to respond to a pandemic.

  11. Coordinated Responses • Health Response Objectives: • Reducing influenza illness and death • Minimizing societal disruption among Albertans by providing access to appropriate prevention, care and treatment • GoA Operations Response Objectives • Supporting delivery of government’s essential services • Supporting the Health Response • Supporting the societal response – working with external stakeholders

  12. Pandemic influenza is inevitable – projecting 1 – 3 yrs. Will arrive in Canada within 3 months after it appears in the world Will last 12 – 18 months; expecting 2 – 3 waves of 6 – 8 weeks each Transmission by large droplet and contact (not airborne) Can spread 24 hours before the start of symptoms and 5 - 7 days after Course of illness (without complications) is 5 – 7 days Health Planning Assumptions

  13. Health Planning Assumptions • Impact unpredictable in timing, severity of illness, and age groups affected; novel virus strain, therefore most people will be susceptible regardless of age • A majority of the population (over 70%) may become infected over the course of the pandemic but 15 – 35% of the population will become clinically ill (i.e. unable to attend work or other activities for at least half a day).

  14. Health Response Plan

  15. Alberta’s Pandemic Influenza Plan (APIP) • Guides and coordinates activities for use by AHW in partnership with regional health authorities • Operational focus • Outlines mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions • Synchronized with the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan • Coordinates with the GOA Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan. • RHAs also have pandemic plans

  16. Regional Health AuthorityPlanning • Provide the local health response by: • Providing frontline service delivery • Delivering vaccine and antivirals • Collecting and reporting regional surveillance data • Reallocating/deploying resources when necessary • RHA-specific communication to the public and health professionals • Coordinating with municipal and local stakeholders

  17. Government of Alberta’sOperational Response Planning

  18. Provincial PlanningMinistry Role withClients/Stakeholders • Each ministry needs to maintain its links to its stakeholders. • Joint discussions on pandemic topics and the potential impacts. • Do its utmost (in line with its Business Continuity Plan) to manage its personnel to keep ministry critical and vital services running.

  19. Provincial Planning Essential Industries • Essential Industries • Electrical Production & Distribution • Oil & Gas Production & Distribution • Food Production & Distribution • Transportation • Water Control & Infrastructure • Finance • Telecommunications • Mortuary Services

  20. Role of Municipalities & Communities • Ensure local essential services are maintained – Fire, Police, EMS/Ambulance • Coordinate pandemic planning with the health authorities. • Support the local health response as much as possible. • Coordinate with GOA through usual emergency channels.

  21. Municipal Preparations

  22. Coordination of Emergency Powers • Public Health Act • Emergency Management Act • If there is a conflict ...

  23. Municipal and Regional Health Authority Plans • Municipality • Police • EMS • Fire • Utilities • Regional Health Authority • Hospital • Emergency Health Care

  24. Communications • Focused on pan –province issues • Reinforces that Municipalities and Regional Health Authorities are the first line of defense and response. • Preparedness messaging

  25. Personal and Family Preparedness MessageHealth • Hand hygiene is a key strategy to prevent the spread of infection • Self care strategy developed • Annual flu immunization • Wash your hands • Cover your cough • Stay well • Stay home if ill • Be prepared

  26. Personal and Family Preparedness MessageEmergencies • Individual and Family Preparedness • Guide prepares you for all hazard emergencies • Municipal response can take up to 72 hours to get mobilized

  27. QUESTIONS? • Contacts: • Health Link Call Centre - 1-866-408-5465 • Service Alberta Call Centre – 310 4455 • Websites: • http://www.health.alberta.ca/influenza/pandemic.html • http://www.aema.alberta.ca/ • http://www.influenza.gc.ca/index_e.html

More Related