Newswise — Behind the scenes and all levels of government, the swine flu outbreak has triggered a rapid, coordinated, 'connect-the-dots' public health response " the first big test of the bio-threat system in the post-9/11 world, says public administration expert Donald Kettl, incoming public policy dean at the University of Maryland.
"The issue of coordination is really huge and there will be many lessons about preparedness and response to learn from this outbreak," Kettl says. "The Department of Homeland Security was created to connect the dots and that didn't work out very well in Katrina. There's been a great deal of planning by public health officials since the anthrax attacks and SARS. So they're probably better networked and prepared. But there's always more to de done and there will be vital lessons to learn when this is all over."
Kettl, author of "The Next Government of the United States," argues that governments at all levels have to make serious changes to cope with the unprecedented global scale of challenges in all realms, including finance, security and public health.
"It's easy from the stands to call for drastic measures, but when you're in the huddle calling the plays, the responsibility weighs heavily, especially in the first quarter of the game," Kettl adds. "Certainly there are limits on resources and it's important to inform without triggering panic."
"We've long known that a genuine pandemic could strike fast and hit hard," Kettl says. "Especially in the aftermath of the 2001 anthrax attacks and SARS, the government has spent a lot of time and energy quietly preparing for the possibility of biothreats, either from nature or from terrorists. From all indications, the preparations were thorough and the nation is ready. But this could prove the first real acid test.
"The challenge for the Obama administration is to build partnerships across all levels of government, across the health sector, and with other nations," Kettl concludes. "What policy makers and governments have to learn from these crises is how to bend or reconfigure our current governance structures to deal with the unprecedented scale of global challenges. This is likely to prove the key to 21st century government."
Here's some background on Donald Kettl: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/uniini/release.cfm?ArticleID=1863
For other University of Maryland experts with swine flu-related experience:http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/experts/hottopic.cfm?hotlist_id=57
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