To assess the level of pandemic preparedness across the province, the Emergency Management Unit has developed a survey to be conducted three times per year (a copy of the survey template is provided below). Local public health units have been selected to respond to this survey as they coordinate influenza pandemic planning for all aspects of the health care system in planning activities in their jurisdictions. This survey not only assesses the readiness of the public health unit to respond to a pandemic, but also of other key health stakeholders.

The September 2007 survey results are in. For this fifth version of the survey, public health units once again canvassed health providers in their jurisdiction in order to assess community-wide efforts to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic.

Highlights from the September 2007 survey include the following :

• Public health units continue to lead interagency pandemic planning across the province. All public health units have engaged stakeholders in their locality to start developing a coordinated health sector response plan, with over two-thirds of jurisdictions having completed a first iteration of their coordinated health system pandemic response plan.
• In general, interagency planning has focused on identifying roles and responsibilities of local health organizations/services, planning mass vaccination procedures, developing a communications strategy, and establishing a surveillance system.
• The voluntary sector has played a key role in supporting community efforts to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. Many public health units indicated that local voluntary organizations have been actively engaged in interagency pandemic planning efforts, including the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, and faith-based organizations.

The survey also allowed public health units to provide feedback to the Emergency Management Unit on areas of pandemic planning that require further provincial direction and/or coordination. Recommendations included the following :

• Direction on the expansion of professions able to certify death during a pandemic
• Education/training resources on the Incident Management System (IMS)
• Liability and compensation issues for independent practitioners
• Pandemic planning guidelines for home care providers/organizations
• Financial tracking forms

This survey will continue to be conducted three times per year, with the next release to be issued in January 2008. The Emergency Management Unit will continue to address the feedback provided through this survey as part of its ongoing pandemic planning activities.

For more information on this survey, or any other aspect of Ontario's influenza pandemic readiness, please contact the Emergency Management Unit by phone at 1-866-212-2272 or by email at emergencymanagement.moh@ontario.ca.

Survey of Community Pandemic Planning 43 kb | MS Excel Spreadsheet

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