U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in China: Emergency Action Plan Open Access

Abstract

Background: In the past few years, natural and man-made emergencies have impacted
staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) working abroad,
resulting in the death of one CDC staff, two large evacuations, and one sheltering of staff
in place. These events and many others prompted growing concerns for the safety of
CDC staff overseas which parallels the changes in the United States from a focus on
emergency response to one on emergency preparedness.
Objectives: The purpose of this project is to develop an Emergency Action Plan that
details the procedures U.S. CDC staff in China would follow to prepare for and respond
to emergencies.

Methods: Over the course of seven weeks in Beijing, China, interviews of unit leaders
from the U.S. CDC in China office were conducted. Lists of essential preparedness and
response tasks for each unit of the office were drafted and Standard Operating Procedures
were developed to outline the details of each task to aid in cross-training and continuity
of operations.

Results: The lists of essential preparedness and response tasks for each unit and the
Standard Operating Procedures were compiled into a 130-page Emergency Action Plan
for the U.S. CDC in China office. Meetings were conducted with the CDC Division of
Emergency Operations to make initial plans and identify priority areas for a table-top
exercise to test certain components of the Emergency Action Plan.

Discussion: The development of an Emergency Action Plan for the U.S. CDC in China
office in the summer of 2011 was one of the first preparedness plans to be developed for
a CDC office abroad. The Emergency Action Plan will be updated during the summer of
2012 and expanded to include an evacuation annex. The updated Emergency Action Plan
will be an operational document for the U.S. CDC office in China and will be shared with
the U.S. Embassy. The biggest challenges of preparedness planning are making it
functional and sustainable. Just as with other tools that are often taught in Master of
Public Health programs, plans are a tool that can reduce morbidity and mortality in
emergencies.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction p. 1

2.0 Background. p.2

2.1 History of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the United States .

2.2 Disasters and Emergency Situations in China

2.3 U.S. CDC in China .

3.0 Methodology. p.10

4.0 Results. p.13

4.1 List of general emergency responsibilities for each unit of U.S. CDC in China .

4.2 Emergency preparedness and response activities for each unit of U.S. CDC in China

4.3 Standard Operating Procedure Example

5.0 Discussion. p.20

5.1 Reflections on the EAP Process in Beijing

5.2 Moving Forward .

5.3 Public Health Implications

6.0 Final note. p.24

Citations. p.25

About this Master's Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	Emergency Plan development China Preparedness CDC
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Martel, Lise D., Emory University
Committee Members	Brachman, Philip S, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Emory University schools, faculty or affiliated programs CDC

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