The Public Health Response to 2009 H1N1 : A Systems Perspective

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic tested the limits of the public health emergency preparedness systems in the US and abroad. The successes and failures from this pandemic remain relevant, particularly as pathogens like MER-CoV and Ebola continue to proliferate. As the world's population continues to travel farther and with more frequency than ever before, the lessons of 2009 stand as important touchstones for future public health infrastructures and interventions.

The Public Health Response to 2009 H1N1: A Systems Perspective draws lessons from the public health system's response to the influenza pandemic, offering a collection of chapters that are highly relevant to all public health emergencies. Not simply a historical case study, this analysis employs a systems perspective that encompasses both government health agencies and community-based entities such as care providers, schools, and media. The chapters demonstrate rigorous qualitative research approaches that can be used to analyze public health system responses to both pathogens and a wide variety of other public health emergencies.

With contributions from a broad panel of experts, the book will be useful for anyone seeking to learn from pH1N1 and to see public health systems in current, specific contexts. The Public Health Response to 2009 H1N1 draws important insights from this global event and will help improve public health emergency preparedness systems for future pandemics.

Michael A. Stoto, PhD, is a Professor of Health Systems Administration and Population Health at Georgetown University. As an epidemiologist, statistician, and health policy analyst, Professor Stoto's research focuses on public health practice, especially with regard to preparedness; the evaluation of public health interventions, and infectious disease policy, and public health practice.

Melissa A. Higdon, MPH, is a Health Care Program Manager at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. Previously, Ms. Higdon was a Research Assistant at Harvard School of Public Health in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health working public health emergency preparedness research, primarily working on a grant funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ms. Higdon's graduate degree is largely focused on health policy.