400 likes | 586 Views
MINISTRY OF HEALTH ACTION PLAN. FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF ANTHRAX Dr. Marion BullockDuCasse, SMO(H) Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, 2001 / 10 / 20. FACTORS TO CONSIDER. Increased terrorist activity Vulnerability of our people and country
E N D
MINISTRY OF HEALTH ACTION PLAN FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF ANTHRAX Dr. Marion BullockDuCasse, SMO(H) Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, 2001 / 10 / 20
FACTORS TO CONSIDER • Increased terrorist activity • Vulnerability of our people and country • Threat of chemical and biological warfare
FACTORS TO CONSIDER • Proximity to the USA • Air travel patterns • Incubation period – a few hours - 7 days and up to 60 days
Scenarios for humans • Individual exposure • Contaminated animals, meat or animal products • Contaminated mail • Mass exposure • Aerosolized particles
Other Scenarios • Importation of: • Contaminated animals • Contaminated meats • Contaminated animal products
THE PLAN • Covers all phases of management of Anthrax for the health sector • Prevention • Mitigation • Preparedness • Response • Recovery
THE FOCUS • The prevention and control of Anthrax, in order to minimize transmission, morbidity and mortality
The Plan • Will be a part of the MOH Emergency and Disaster Management Plan and is to be used in conjunction with it • Is a part of the MOH and National Plans for Response to Threats From Biological and Chemical Agents • Is therefore a part of the National Disaster Plan
OBJECTIVES • To detail all procedures, guidelines and actions to be taken by the heath sector for the prevention and control of Anthrax • To outline the steps to be taken by other Ministries and agencies
AUTHORITY • The plan is the authoritative guide of the health sector, for all actions required to effectively and efficiently deal with the health aspects of Anthrax exposure, infections and epidemics
AUTHORITY (cont.) • The MOH is the lead agency • All other agencies involved in the prevention and control of Anthrax must work in close collaboration with the MOH
ACTIVATION • Any suspected or confirmed caseof Anthrax or exposure to the Anthrax organism will necessitate activation of the plan and initiation of the response phase
ACTIVATION • The Plan will be activated by: • CMO • PS • Senior Medical Officer (Health) / Director, Emergency and Disaster Management
ACTIVATION • Once activation takes place: • The National Disaster Executive, and • All other relevant Ministries and agencies are then notified.
ACTION PLAN • Actions are listed for each phase • Not to be carried out sequentially • Many will have to be carried out simultaneously • Hence, the need for early notification and call-out of the Response Team
Response – National Plan • Level 1 • External situation exists which could pose a threat to the country • No evidence of illness or disease or any agent that would cause illness or disease in the country
Response – National Plan • Level 2 • Investigation Response Team is called upon to respond to the possibility of existence of these agents • MOH Action Plan activated • MOH EOC partially activated
Response – Level 3 • Cases of illness or disease or presence of the agent would be confirmed (dependent on number of cases / advise of MOH or other sector with responsibility for confirmation) • FULL ACTIVATION OF THE NEOC • FULL ACTIVATION OF THE MOH EOC
RESPONSE - MOH • Will be initiated in two (2) phases • The Alert Phase / Partial Response • The Full Response
THE RESPONSE – Alert Phase and Full Response • Will be initiated by the MOH, in accordance with the guidelines of this Plan • Once a notification is received of a suspected case of Anthrax or the presence of a suspicious substance, letter, package or other material
THE ALERT PHASE • For suspected cases: • Includes those actions taken from the time of INITIAL NOTIFICATION • until CONFIRMATION OF THE DIAGNOSIS by the MOH, whether by clinical and epidemiological or laboratory means
ALERT PHASE – ACTION PLAN • Verify the presence of a suspicious substance, letter, package • Place Investigation Response Team on ALERT
Alert Phase • Verify the diagnosis of a case (suspected or confirmed) • Initiate actions in patient management protocol
ALERT PHASE • Confirm if case (suspected or confirmed) meets the diagnostic criteria – clinical and epidemiological or laboratory
THE ALERT PHASE • For a suspicious letter, package or other material: • Includes those actions taken from the NOTIFICATION • until VERIFICATION of its existence
FULL RESPONSE • Actions taken once the diagnosis of a suspected case is CONFIRMED by the MOH, or • the presence of a suspicious substance, letter, package or material is VERIFIED, • until DEACTIVATION of the Response
RECOVERY • Actions in this Phase will return activities of all sectors to those routine activities which were in place before the response to Anthrax
DEBRIEFING • A debriefing meeting will be convened by the SMO(H) / Director, EDMSS within seven (7) days of deactivation
FINAL REPORT • Will be prepared within fourteen (14) days of the deactivation and seven (7) days of the debriefing