At the CIEH Best of the Best Conference in September 2008 the keynote speech was delivered by Professor Lindsey Davies, National Director of Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Department of Health
Professor Davies informed us about her role and her expectations of environmental health practitioners in implementing the plans to prevent and deal with the effects of pandemic flu.
Pandemic flu occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily from person to person, causes serious illness and can sweep across the country in which it originates and around the world in a very short time. In contrast to the ‘ordinary’ or ‘seasonal’, flu outbreaks which we see every winter in the UK, flu pandemics occur infrequently - usually every few decades. There were three last century. The most serious was in 1918 and smaller pandemics happened in 1957 and 1968.
However the most important difference is that in the modern world we are able to plan for such possible epidemics, and make the necessary preparations to contain them and mitigate their impact. That is the work that Professor Davies is leading and the publication of the Government’s key planning document 'Pandemic flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic' describes the Government's strategic approach, and it is supported by a range of advice and guidance for public and private organisations and the public.
The Pandemic flu key sources of information schematic diagram (PDF) identifies the key sources of advice and information for both the prevention of infection and the strategic planning that will assist EHPs in carrying out their roles. In addition we have developed , with the Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency, a specific guidance note on infection control for environmental health practitioners. The CIEH Policy Team will also be sending out from time to time, to our local authority contacts, locally produced information, advice and guidance which may be useful to others in planning their own local activities.
If you have any useful materials please contact the CIEH Policy Department.