title: Preparing for the next influenza pandemic: a New South Wales perspective.
abstract: Pandemic influenza is one of a small number of infectious diseases that pose a significant global threat. Pandemic preparedness has accelerated around the world in recent years in response to the perceived increased risk of a pandemic developing following the emergence of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic poultry flocks in Asia, Africa and Europe. There is a hierarchy of pandemic plans - international, national, state, and local - and harmonisation of all of these is imperative for a coordinated and effective response. At the national and state levels, plans have been developed for a whole-of-government response to a pandemic, in addition to plans specifically for the health sector. It is inevitable that influenza pandemics will occur and careful planning is crucial to mitigate their potentially devastating effects.
authors.affiliation: Biopreparedness Unit, NSW Department of Health.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011635:Public Health Administration