The United States of America is often on the brink of the next pandemic given the wide array of potential health risks and problems that face the citizens of the country on a regular basis ( Myers et al., 2016) . The public health risk that is poised by the prevalence of disease breakout results in unprecedented loss both of human life and of precious resources that are used to mitigate effects of a pandemic. In sight of this, researchers and scholars alike agree to the fact that it is essential to set up public health emergency preparedness and response strategies to ensure that the adverse effects of pandemics are nipped at the bud ( Myers et al., 2016) . Public health emergencies which encompass bioterrorism, natural disasters together with infectious diseases require the effective mobilization of the organizational efforts coupled with improving the utility of emergency response acts ( Myers et al., 2016) . The government in a bid to cater for the emergency preparedness of the national health sector passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA)).
Context and Background of the Issue
Pandemics were prevalent in the 19 th and 18 th centuries largely due to poor detection, treatment and prevention measures of many conditions and diseases which was further precipitated by the lack of efficient research methods and resources during the period ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . Despite this, it was the influenza pandemic of 1918 that grasped the most attention given the fact that it led to the loss of the lives of approximately 40 million individuals who were diagnosed with the condition ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . The prevalence of mortality due to the pandemic led to the adoption of various policies throughout the 20 th century to ensure that disaster preparedness is a priority for both the government and other concerned and relevant authority ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . One of the most significant steps taken towards the curbing of the occurrence of pandemics has been the establishment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention though the office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.
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The CDC has been responsible for the organization and management of disaster preparedness and mitigation operations for approximately the past sixty years ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . Moreover, another step take that has radicalized the state of public health disaster management was the PHEPR which was established after the anthrax pandemic of 2001 amidst unprecedented terrorist attacks. Moreover, in 2006, president George Bush signed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . It was designed to further improve and nationalize health emergency disaster response strategies by centralization of federal responsibilities among other vital measures to ensure disaster preparedness is ensured ( Kelly-Cirino et al., 2018) . The policy guidelines were further enhanced and redefined as the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018.
Policy Options and Alternatives
The strategy proposes the policy option of improvement of benchmark standards though the assessment of existent measures and standards and reevaluation and revision of the benchmarks that were previously applied ( Kelliher et al., 2018) . This will aid in improving the quality of response to be expected from the relevant parties even though it will significantly increase the cost of preparedness by the evaluation and implementation of new standards. Additionally, the policy recommendations suggest amendments to the existing preparedness and response programs to fit new preparedness and response objectives ( Kelliher et al., 2018) . Adjustment of programs to fit the new policy guidelines and objectives of disaster preparedness is vital for ensuring that programs ae in congruence with disaster preparedness objectives ( Kelliher et al., 2018) . Moreover, the act provided for the requirement of officials in charge of preparedness and response to be involved in the development of guidelines that are to be used to inform facilities to treat patients who have been affected by any of the most common pandemics. These include chemical threats, nuclear threats together with infectious and communicable diseases ( Kelliher et al., 2018) . This requirement is based on the need to ensure that officials are adequately involved in the management of health disasters therefore reducing holdbacks due to conflicting authority.
References
Kelliher, R. (2018). Academic and Practice Partnerships: Building an Effective Public Health System Focusing on Public Health Preparedness and Response.
Kelly-Cirino, C. D., Nkengasong, J., Kettler, H., Tongio, I., Gay-Andrieu, F., Escadafal, C., ... & Boehme, C. (2019). Importance of diagnostics in epidemic and pandemic preparedness. BMJ Global Health , 4 (Suppl 2), e001179.
Myers, N. (2016). Policy making to build relationships: A grounded theory analysis of interviews and documents relating to H1N1, ebola, and the US public health preparedness network. Journal of health and human services administration , 313-356.
