Report: R.I. better than most on infectious disease preparedness

A REPORT found that the Ebola outbreak exposes underlying gaps in the nation's ability to manage severe infectious disease threats. Rhode Island scored six out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks. / COURTESY TRUST FOR AMERICA'S HEALTH AND ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
A REPORT found that the Ebola outbreak exposes underlying gaps in the nation's ability to manage severe infectious disease threats. Rhode Island scored six out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks. / COURTESY TRUST FOR AMERICA'S HEALTH AND ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranks better than most states on infectious disease preparedness.

The Ocean State scored six out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, according to a recently released report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The organizations studied the nation’s ability to manage severe infectious disease threats in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa and found “serious underlying gaps.”
The report – Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases – found that half of states and Washington, D.C., scored five or lower out of 10 key indicators. Ten was the highest possible score. Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia tied for the top score – achieving eight out of 10 indicators. Arkansas had the lowest score at two out of 10.
The indicators were developed in consultation with leading public health experts, according to a news release from the organizations.
“Over the last decade, we have seen dramatic improvements in state and local capacity to respond to outbreaks and emergencies. But we also saw during the recent Ebola outbreak that some of the most basic infectious disease control policies failed when tested,” Jeffrey Levi, Trust for America’s Health executive director, said in a statement. “The Ebola outbreak is a reminder that we cannot afford to let our guard down. We must remain vigilant in preventing and controlling emerging threats – like MERS-CoV, pandemic flu and Enterovirus – but not at the expense of ongoing, highly disruptive and dangerous diseases – seasonal flu, HIV/AIDS, antibiotic resistance and health care-associated infections.”
The report said that although “significant advances” have been made in preparing for public health emergencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks, “gaps remain and have been exacerbated as resources were cut over time.”
Rhode Island was one of 47 states and Washington, D.C., which conducted an exercise or used a real event to evaluate the time it took for sentinel laboratories to acknowledge receipt of an urgent message from the state’s laboratory.
It also met vaccination goals, as it was one of only 14 states that vaccinated at least half of the population against the seasonal flu (from fall 2013 to spring 2014), and was one of 35 states and Washington, D.C., that met the goal for vaccinating young children against the hepatitis B virus.
Rhode Island, along with 36 other states and Washington, D.C., require reporting of all CD4 and HIV viral load data to the state’s HIV surveillance program. Rhode Island also met the national performance target of testing 90 percent of reported E.coli cases within four days.
However, Rhode Island was not among the 10 states that reduced the number of central line-associated bloodstream infections between 2011 and 2012.
Said Paul Kuehnert, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation director, “Infectious disease control requires having systems in place, continuous training and practice and sustained, sufficient funding.”
The report recommends that it is time to rethink and modernize the health system to better match existing and emerging global disease threats.
As for the other New England states, New Hampshire achieved seven out of the 10 indicators; Connecticut, six out of 10; and Maine, four out of 10.
The report and state-by-state materials are available HERE.

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