Hawaiʻi is new member of global effort to improve public health emergency response

Hawaiʻi Department of Health is now one of the newest members to join an international partnership established by World Health Organization aimed at improving response to public health emergencies worldwide.

Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network includes more than 300 technical institutions and networks around the world, including laboratories, humanitarian organizations, public health institutions and regional technical networks.

It provides rapid, coordinated technical assistance to countries experiencing public health events such as disease outbreaks, food safety and zoonosis, or infectious diseases naturally transmittable from vertebrate animals to humans, such as Ebola and rabies.

“The state of Hawaiʻi recognizes the importance of global coordination in detecting and responding to emerging public health threats,” said Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green in a state release about the new partnership.

Green added that as a premier international travel destination, the Aloha State occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of Asia, the Pacific and continental United States, so “it is certainly in Hawaiʻi’s interest to help safeguard the health and well-being of our neighbors and frequent visitors to our islands.”

Hawaiʻi Department of Health brings its unique capacity to respond to public health crises in geographically isolated areas throughout the Pacific Ocean region.

The department developed extensive technical expertise in surveillance and risk assessment, laboratory testing and diagnostics as well as emergency response, all in the complex environment of multiple islands, cultures and international jurisdictions.

It’s experience that only adds to the capabilities and expertise already represented in Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

“We welcome the opportunity to become a member of [Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network],” said Hawaiʻi Department of Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink in the state release. “This will allow us to be more informed about potential threats in order to better protect the health for residents and visitors in the state and to offer our assistance when needed, particularly to others in the Pacific.”

Visit the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network website for additional information.