Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne has announced that PAHO is creating a new PAHO Health Emergencies Department that aligns with the new World Health Organization Health Emergencies program. The program brings together the Department of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief, the Unit of International Health Regulations/Epidemic Alert and Response, and Water Borne Diseases.
Focusing on the future does not just mean focusing on the technology, research, and development at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). For S&T, focusing on the future also includes the specialized research and education programs at the university-based DHS Centers of Excellence.
Researchers at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, recently identified compounds that potentially can be used to inhibit Zika virus replication and reduce its ability to kill brain cells. These compounds now can be studied by the broader research community to help combat the Zika public health crisis.
The X-Ray Toolkit (XTK), an image-processing and analysis software developed at Sandia National Laboratories has swept the ranks of the country’s bomb squads. XTK has spread through the military and emergency response communities and is now in the hands of more than 20,000 users around the globe.
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s First Responders Group (FRG) awarded a 24-month project to Applied Research Associates Inc., a company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop technology that reduces dangerous vehicle strikes on first responders. The project will integrate existing technologies into a system that can be easily deployed.
A new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program could help unlock the potential of advanced gene-editing technologies by developing a set of tools to address potential risks of this rapidly advancing field. The Safe Genes program envisions addressing key safety gaps by using those tools to restrict or reverse the propagation of engineered genetic constructs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding ten and proposing to add eight more hazardous waste sites to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL). EPA adds sites to the NPL when mismanagement of contamination from a variety of sources – including manufacturing, mining, battery recycling, and dry cleaning – threatens public health and the environment.
Firefighters, police officers and other first responders know how to manage many different types of emergencies, but they may not always be prepared to handle infectious diseases or biohazards like virus cultures and pathology specimens. Colorado State University was recently selected to join a five-state infectious disease training partnership led by Duke University.
Hurricane forecasters are ready for the upcoming peak of hurricane season thanks to a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to share a high-altitude atmospheric science research plane.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to establish consistent emergency preparedness requirements for healthcare providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid, increase patient safety during emergencies, and establish a more coordinated response to natural and manmade disasters.
