Introducing www.epidemic-em.org: A Collection of Online Resources and Training Materials for Strengthening use of Emergency Operations Centers for Epidemic Response.

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to demonstrate that a website, www.epidemic-em.org, encompassing "static" resources, and videos, as well as other tools, can be used to strengthen public health emergency management capacity during epidemic response. METHODS: Existing resources were updated and developed for self-directed Emergency Operations Centers' capacity strengthening, in order to encompass current best practices, and to emphasize how public health emergency management concepts can support epidemic response activities. These materials formed the core of the website, launched in June 2020, to which country case studies were added. In 2021, a pilot virtual training program was designed using recorded video lectures and interviews with global experts in addition to the website material, which was delivered to South African responders. RESULTS: The website has been accessed in more than 135 countries, demonstrating widespread reach and interest in online and freely accessible materials to support public health emergency operations. Over 30 people participated in the pilot virtual training, and the evaluation showed improvement in knowledge, confidence in using emergency management concepts for epidemic response, and positive feedback on the virtual modality. CONCLUSIONS: Online tools can expand access to materials and resources for public health emergency management capacity strengthening. Virtual modalities can further serve as a powerful complement, and perhaps replacement, for traditional in-person technical assistance, despite some limitations.

Assessing US Congressional Exposure to the Issue of Emerging Infectious Disease Risk Prior to 2020.

Despite decades of US government attention to biological threats, COVID-19 revealed substantial deficits in US preparedness. In our evaluation, we sought to catalog and quantify information delivered to members of Congress that would enable them to determine their level of concern about emerging infectious disease (EID) risk and direct a course of action. We examined hearings on EID from 1995 through 2019 as a proxy for congressional awareness of EID risk, searching the Congressional Record using keywords. During this timeframe, Congress conducted 167 hearings relevant to EID, encompassing 860 witness appearances. The most active House and Senate committees were those with jurisdiction over homeland security, health, oversight, and funding. There was a markedly lower level of activity among committees with jurisdiction over foreign relations, financial services, small business, agriculture, and every other relevant area of jurisdiction. Our results suggest that absence of lawmaker knowledge of EID risks was not the cause of the United States' lack of preparedness.