The public health emergency of international scope (USPPI) was declared five times: in 2009, for Influenza A (H1N1), twice in 2014 for polio and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, in 2016, for the Zika fever epidemic in America and in 2018, again for Ebola in Kivu.
The World Health Organization defines this situation as “an extraordinary event which has been determined to constitute a risk to public health in other States due to the risk of international spread of disease and which it may require coordinated international action ”. So much for the official definition.
Clearly, this is a serious situation, with public health implications beyond the national borders of the affected state which requires immediate international action.
How should this translate into France?
The declaration of a USPPI is a measure of recognition of possible national and regional risks. And the need to step up and coordinate action to manage them. For France this means:
– Put the health system on alert (Regional health agencies, national health security agencies, SAMU, healthcare establishments, health professionals);
– Strengthen information and awareness of the population;
– Strengthen screening on the national territory to guarantee that no contact has been forgotten;
– Strengthen surveillance with a view to reducing the time between detection and treatment of patients and their isolation;
– Put in place exceptional authorizations for medicines and vaccines that do not have marketing authorization;
– Quickly implement vaccination strategies likely to reverse the spread of the disease;
– Continue to collaborate with the United Nations and partners, create an enabling environment for public health operations, to accelerate efforts to combat the disease.
Cyber Harassment Worsens Teen Discomfort
Source: Destination Santé
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