The American Public Health Association should develop a Public Health and Terrorism Action Plan to meet the following objectives, consistent with the goals of the APHA Strategic Plan:
I. Strengthen Public Policy
a. Provide leadership at the federal, state and local level for sufficient financial, human and other resources to improve the public health infrastructure and other components of the public health system (including education, research and the faith community) in order to identify, respond to and prevent injuries, physical illness and mental health problems that result from terrorist attacks and other disasters.
b. Advocate at the federal, state and local level for sufficient financial, human and other resources to improve the public health infrastructure and other components of the public health system in order to address problems of public health importance that are not related to terrorism that continue to cause substantial morbidity, disability and premature mortality
c. Advocate for policies and programs that promote improved protection of rescue and recovery workers responding to terrorism attacks and other disasters
d. Advocate for policies and programs that promote improved assessment, decontamination and protection of the human environment after terrorist attacks and other disasters
e. Advocate for policies and programs to protect the civil rights, human rights and civil liberties of people in the United States and elsewhere and to promote social justice
f. Advocate for international policies and programs, including international treaties and conventions that ban the production, storage, transportation and use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and ultimately eliminate these weapons and reduce production of extraordinarily hazardous substances
g. Advocate for international health policies and programs that promote the conditions in which people can be healthy, address disparities in health status and access to health services and protect and promote human rights and social justice
h. Advocate for programs and policies that promote peace and provide nonviolent options for conflict resolution
i. Advocate that the Federal government review and appropriately change U.S. policies that directly or indirectly support political entities or other organizations that use or promote the use of terrorism or which financially support such entities or promulgate educational materials that promote terrorism.
II. Build Public Support for Public Health
a. Educate the public about terrorism through reports in the media that are designed to educate and inform, but not create panic
b. Address public misunderstandings about health issues related to terrorism and other disasters
c. Educate the public about health consequences of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and the need for their immediate strict control and ultimate elimination
d. Educate the public about public health roles in preventing and reducing the health consequences of terrorist acts and other disasters
e. Educate the public about public health roles in preventing and reducing the health consequences of injury and disease not related to terrorism
f. Foster protection of human rights, promotion of social justice, prevention of hate crimes and racist acts and prohibition of ethnic, racial and religious profiling
III. Improve Public Health Practice
a. Provide continuing education, training programs and publications concerning terrorism and related issues for public health professionals
b. Provide continuing education, training programs and publications concerning terrorism and related issues that identify agencies' and organizations' roles in providing leadership and management of the public health response to terrorist attacks and other disasters
c. Promote development of curricula in educational institutions on terrorism and related issues for students in the health professions
d. Provide timely information concerning terrorism to public health professionals
e. Facilitate coordination among public health, mental health, medical and other organizations and agencies that are addressing the health consequences of terrorism and other disasters
f. Develop guidelines for equitable allocation and appropriate use of vaccines, antibiotics, antidotes and other resources
g. Develop guidelines for public health professionals for addressing the health consequences of terrorism and other disasters
h. Develop approaches to evaluate the impact of various programs that are addressing the public health impacts of terrorism and other disasters
i. Cooperate with the World Federation of Public Health Associations in addressing the international health aspects of terrorism and other disasters
IV. Strengthen the Association
a. Improve the continuing education and training capabilities of APHA and affiliated state and local public health associations
b. Improve the communications capabilities of APHA and affiliated state and local public health associations
c. Develop and strengthen partnerships among APHA and other health organizations