And for all the sophistication of the categorically funded systems, they usually cannot communicate with each other. Even where some type of electronic communications capacity exists, that capacity is useless unless people are trained to work with it effectively. Training in the use of on-line data and services is essential. The skills and competencies we will need to apply 21st century technology to public health are sorely lacking. Moreover, the experience and skill to deal with complex infectious disease problems is widely variable across the country.
Additional training is needed to improve local public health surveillance and response.
The Health Alert Network program is beginning to fill the huge gap in knowledge and communications capacities that now handicaps many local public health officials in their ability to recognize and deal quickly with public health emergencies. Its purpose is to provide those on the front lines in public health, local public health departments, with essential electronic information tools and the training to use it well to improve public health surveillance and response. Bioterrorism response will not work effectively or efficiently without a high level of attention to preparing the most likely first responders. The same local public health infrastructure of trained personnel, equipment, and communications and data analysis capacities that will equip the public health workforce to cope with an act of terrorism, such as an intentional release of anthrax, will also better equip those professionals to deal with the threats that occur even more frequently, when contagious diseases or contaminated food or water threaten our communities. This represents significant progress, but continued and increased funding is necessary to assure a uniform level of capacity nationwide.