Pandemic Preparedness Planning

I read the head lines like the one below and I begin to think of how we are such a global community and how fast infections and disease can transmit from one to another so easily. This information is for you to help your family to prepare for the emergence of an epidemic.


U.N.: Zimbabwe cholera deaths nearly 1,000

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/15/zimbabwe.thousand.deaths/index.html?section=cnn_latest
(CNN) -- The number of cholera deaths in Zimbabwe is approaching 1,000, according to U.N. figures published Monday.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 978 people have died and 18,413 suspected cases have been recorded.
U.N. figures have been compiled since August.
The latest death toll is reported amid claims by one of Zimbabwe's top officials blaming the cholera outbreak on "a genocidal onslaught" by Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler -- Britain.
"Cholera is a calculated, racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country," Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told reporters.

Here are the definitions of Epidemic and Pandemic.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/)

Epidemic
–adjective
1. Also, ep⋅i⋅dem⋅i⋅cal. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
2. extremely prevalent; widespread.
–noun
3. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
4. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.


Pandemic
–adjective
1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.
2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war.
–noun
3. a pandemic disease.

This information is from the Church's web site Provident Living

http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8041-1-4414-1,00.html

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Nice PDF copies are at the Church's web site.

Pandemic Preparedness Planning


The following fact sheets provide information on how individuals, families, and health care workers can help prepare for a possible flu pandemic:

1 Home and Family Preparedness


2 Personal Hygiene


3 Personal Protective Equipment


4 Infectious Disease Cleanup


5 Sheltering In Place


6 Social Distancing


7 Workplace Preparedness


8 Health Care Worker Preparedness

Note: The following links are not to official Church publications, but are provided as additional resource material.

The Center for Disease Control Web site offers pandemic flu information for individuals and families.

Brigham Young University—Idaho offers an online training video for the prevention of Avian flu.