U.S. Must Invest In Prevention To Adequately Prepare For Next Public Health Crisis

Huffington Post: One More Time With Zika: Investment in Prevention Costs Less, Means Better Health
Deborah Klein Walker, vice president and senior fellow at Abt Associates, and Christopher Spera, division vice president for U.S. health at Abt Associates

“…Investments in local, state, and federal public health infrastructure are necessary to stop the spread of Zika and other infectious diseases in the United States, as well as address the health outcomes for those who are infected. … [I]t is extremely important for people to take actions to limit exposure to the virus. According to the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll in September 2016, [about] 90 percent of Americans have heard something about Zika, but fewer are taking precautions to reduce Zika … [W]e need to be prepared for the next public health crisis that confronts us in the future. We must embrace lessons learned from our experiences with major public health crises of the past decade (e.g., SARS, Ebola, H1N1, and Zika). … Resources should be allocated at all levels of government to continue to address the Zika crisis and prepare for the next one … As the economic leader in the world, the United States can do better in preparing for public health crises and set the direction for other countries” (10/18).

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