Association of State & Territorial Health Officials Testifies Before House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery

ARLINGTON, Virginia, March 11 -- The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials issued the following testimony:

Thomas Dobbs, MD, MPH, state health officer of the Mississippi State Department of Health, testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery at a hearing entitled "Community Perspectives on Coronavirus Preparedness and Response." This hearing provides a forum for Congress to learn more about the current efforts to prepare and respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

"When the public at large is threatened by pandemic illness, a closely coordinated response with state, local, and national emergency response systems is required.

"This coordination allows for a unification of mission and the capacity to bring multiple partners into the response framework, such that resource needs from all sectors can be deployed for a common purpose," says Dobbs. "Maintaining a robust and capable public health response system takes a steady investment in time and effort.

"The necessary skill sets, staffing, and technological requirements are not readily scalable in the event of acute need.

"As Congress considers future investments in protecting the safety of the American public, steady and sustained investment in our public health infrastructure is needed."

For more information and to read Dobbs' testimony, visit the committee's website.