[ OUR OPINION ]
THE best way to defend against the possibility of a bioterrorist attack is through an effective public health system. Federal grants will help Hawaii achieve that goal, but the state needs assurance of federal assistance in addition to funding. That assistance was inadequate during last year's outbreak of dengue fever in the islands. Hawaii needs more
than money in fight
against bioterrorism
THE ISSUE The state has received federal funding of $9 million to fight bioterrorism.
A recent federal grant of $231,931 will bring the state Department of Health's funding to fight bioterrorism to about $9 million, according to Bruce Anderson, the state health director. Most of the funding was OK'd in June after approval of the state's bioterrorism preparedness plan by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
In a letter approving the state's bioterrorism plan, Jerome M. Hauer, director of the federal Office of Public Health Preparedness, said Hawaii is expected to have access to a National Pharmaceutical Stockpile within 12 to 24 hours of making a request, so vaccination or distribution of antibiotics can be completed in three to five days. Hauer was critical of the state's plan for accommodating a surge of hospital patients "in the wake of a mass casualty event."
Although Hawaii began applying for federal bioterrorism grants in 1999, state officials have learned much in the aftermath of Sept. 11, Anderson said. "Our experience with anthrax and the other situations since then have certainly identified a lot of gaps in the system, but we've been able to fill those gaps," he said.
One of those gaps occurred when dengue fever struck Hawaii last fall during the nationwide anthrax scare. Like other states, Hawaii had to respond to reports of suspected anthrax discoveries in the weeks following the Sept. 11 attacks. At the same time, state health officials also tried to deal with the outbreak of dengue fever during its peak in October.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was so preoccupied with the anthrax scare that it neglected to ship laboratory supplies to Hawaii so dengue cases and infected mosquitoes could be quickly diagnosed. Instead, blood samples and mosquitoes had to be shipped to a CDC lab in San Juan, Puerto Rico, resulting in a turn-around time of weeks.
While Hawaii's remote location may provide some protection against the spread of disease such as the current West Nile virus, its distance from the mainland puts it at a disadvantage in obtaining rapid assistance, as the dengue outbreak demonstrated.
"Hawaii is in a unique situation, given the availability of local federal government resources, including those of the military," Hauer added. He said the state should document mutual aid agreements with federal agencies, states and Pacific territories "and provide assurances that these agreements will be pursued." The dengue fever experience showed the need for such assurances.
BACK TO TOP
Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4790; mpoole@starbulletin.com
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin (USPS 249460) is published daily by
John Flanagan, Contributing Editor 294-3533; jflanagan@starbulletin.com
Oahu Publications at 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawaii. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.
