Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) is a cooperative agreement that regulates local and state funding procedures for public health units. PHEP has existed since 2002, supporting the system of public health on a nationwide level (CDC, 2021). According to Khan et al. (2019), this system remains in the vanguard of critical situations that affect society. In the most recent context, the scope of such issues comprises the Ebola virus and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, as per the CDC (2021), the range of the public health system’s responsibilities is not limited to contagious disease outbreaks. The purpose of this mechanism is to prevent society from developing serious complications of damaging occurrences. Furthermore, PHEP and public health units are among the first responders to various emergency situations. However, a question remains of whether this framework has been effective in regard to one of the most pressing concerns of the time.
The phenomenon of global climate change has become the new reality of the 21st century. This process is observed on various levels, introducing new variables into the climate profile of the Earth. The implications of the climate change are vast, comprising major natural disasters of an immense magnitude that ravage entire communities. As stated by the CDC (2021), disaster response is within the zone of responsibility of the PHEP. The public health system, indeed, responds to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other damaging phenomena. However, this approach remains mostly reactive in the context of the climate change. In order to make meaningful changes, it appears wise to address the root of the problem rather than its practical manifestations. A proactive approach to the problem would include a deeper level of work with the public, educating communities on the daunting prospect of climate change (Fox et al., 2019). It should extend beyond response measures and reactions in the case of natural disasters. Instead, the optimal intervention is to affect people’s minds, prompting them to redefine their approach to life and reduce the environmental impact.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement. Web.
Fox, M., Zuidema, C., Bauman, B., Burke, T., & Sheehan, M. (2019). Integrating public health into climate change policy and planning: State of practice update. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18). Web.
Khan, Y., Brown, A.D., Gagliardi. A.R., O’Sullivan, T., Lacarte, S., Henry, B., & Schwartz, B. (2019) Are we prepared? The development of performance indicators for public health emergency preparedness using a modified Delphi approach. PLoS ONE, 14(12). Web.