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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) The Youngest Victims: Disaster Preparedness to Meet Children's Needs Rapid Responses: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Peck, G. Q. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Peck, G. Q. Related Collections Emergency Care Preventive Pediatrics Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Commentary

Disaster Preparedness and Pediatrics: What's Next?

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Life in America has changed forever after the events of September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Unfortunately, children and families are still suffering from these catastrophes. As a pediatrician from New Orleans, a former member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Board of Directors, and the chairperson of the AAP Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council, I would like to extend a personal invitation to all pediatricians to join the AAP in its ongoing efforts to protect children in future disasters.

The array of issues involved can be daunting, and it is difficult to know where to start. Most pediatricians and their office staff are not as prepared as they should or could be for a disaster. Yet, without adequate preparation, tragic and avoidable adverse outcomes occur.

The AAP has begun several initiatives to address the systems issues related to disaster preparedness and to support children, families, and pediatricians in planning appropriately. In May 2007, the AAP Board of Directors appointed the Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council to develop and implement a 3- to 5-year plan that will:

• Address disaster planning, response, rescue, and recovery.
  
• Reflect an "all-hazards" approach (ie, prepare for all potential disasters).
  
• Build systems at the medical home, community, local, state, regional, and national levels through partnerships with public health and other systems.
  
• Integrate its efforts with existing internal and external approaches.
  

Disaster readiness objectives include:

• Pediatricians and pediatric office practices will be prepared to assist children, families, and communities with disaster planning.
  
• Children's needs will be fully integrated into and exercised in local, state, and federal plans for all hazards and emergencies having a public health impact.
  
• The AAP will have an ongoing mechanism to implement disaster preparedness initiatives, respond to requests for pediatric expertise on disaster readiness, and integrate these activities with relevant internal and . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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