EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Climate change and natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent outbreaks, and increased consciousness of domestic and foreign terrorism have heightened awareness of the need for emergency preparedness and response (EPR) within the larger maternal and child health (MCH) community. In response, AMCHP leads and supports jurisdictional health agencies, their partner ecosystems, and a range of professionals to meet the needs of women, children, adolescents, and families across communities. Many of our initiatives are funded by federal entities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They address the knowledge and skill development of a dynamic, interconnected workforce and contribute to the overall capacity of states and territories to meet the needs of MCH populations when disasters occur. Our role is to ensure MCH populations’ needs are represented in discussions about and recommendations relevant to emergency preparedness at all levels of government – ultimately leading to better outcomes during response, recovery, and mitigation.

Current Initiatives