COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LEADERSHIP TOOL FOR CATASTROPHIC HEALTH EVENTS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LEADERSHIP TOOL FOR CATASTROPHIC HEALTH EVENTS
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Date
2007
Authors
Schoch-Spana, Monica
Franco, Crystal
Nuzzo, Jennifer B.
Usenza, Christiana
Advisor
Citation
Schoch-Spana, Monica and Franco, Crystal and Nuzzo, Jennifer B. and Usenza, Christiana the Working Group on Community Engagement in Health Emergency Planning (2007) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LEADERSHIP TOOL FOR CATASTROPHIC HEALTH EVENTS. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, 5 (1). pp. 8-25.
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Abstract
Disasters and epidemics are immense and shocking disturbances that require the judgments and efforts of large numbers of people, not simply those who serve in an official capacity. This article reviews the Working Group on Community Engagement in Health Emergency Planning’s recommendations to government decision makers on why and how to catalyze the civic infrastructure for an extreme health event. Community engagement defined here as structured dialogue, joint problem solving, and collaborative action among formal authorities, citizens at-large, and local opinion leaders around a pressing public matter—can augment officials’ abilities to govern in a crisis, improve application of communally held resources in a disaster or epidemic, and mitigate communitywide losses. The case of limited medical options in an influenza pandemic serves to demonstrate the civic infrastructure’s preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities and to illustrate how community engagement can improve pandemic contingency planning.