UH Manoa National Disaster Preparedness Training Center releases Zika virus video

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Stephanie Nagai, (808) 956-0614
Program Coordinator, National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
Posted: Sep 13, 2016

(Link to 1 minute, 30 seconds of NDPTC Zika Video - http://bit.ly/2cVnbYu )

The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC) at UH Mānoa focuses on natural hazards such as hurricanes, tsunamis, climate change and other threats to coastal and island communities. Under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the NDPTC has developed a short video in partnership with the State of Hawaii Department of Health and the University of Hawaiʻi as part of its Just-in-Time Training initiative to promote awareness and deliver basic information on Zika virus. The center has developed other Just-in-Time training media on tsunamis, volcanoes, and other emerging threats and hazards.

In this video, Dr. Sarah Park (State Epidemiologist and Chief of the Disease Outbreak Control Division) from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health, provides key information about the virus including its potential for spreading from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus causing birth defects, and its transmission through vectors or sexual contact.

Zika virus is most commonly spread by the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito (Aedes agypti and Aedis albopictus). With climate change and urbanization, there has been a global expansion of mosquito habitats and human interaction. The virus has been found in the Americas, Oceania/Pacific Islands, Africa and Asia. According to the Center for Disease Control, travel-associated cases of Zika virus have been found in every U.S. state except Alaska and Wyoming. Locally acquired cases have been found in Florida, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We are particularly concerned about Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases because of the potential impact on vulnerable, at-risk populations,” said Dr. Karl Kim, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at UH and Executive Director of the NDPTC. “We need to increase awareness of the disease and work toward effective strategies for monitoring as well as combating Zika. As a global visitor destination, Hawaiʻi needs a multi-pronged approach involving health-care providers, urban planners, emergency responders, households and businesses to manage this health threat.”

Homeowners and businesses need to protect themselves against mosquitoes and implement effective programs for mosquito control.  Training and education is needed to increase preparedness as well as response and mitigation capabilities.   

NDPTC is committed to providing relevant and up-to-date training and education on the latest threats to our society. The video may be viewed at: https://youtu.be/2zVEo9s5XZc

The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (https://ndpc.us/) is a professional alliance sponsored through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate. NDPC’s mission is to enhance the preparedness of federal, state, local and tribal emergency responders and teams, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Its aim is to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and all-hazard high-consequence events by developing, delivering and assessing plans, training, technical assistance and exercises.

The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/) is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which was expanded in 2007 to address all-hazards capabilities by the addition of the University of Hawai‘i. The NDPTC is authorized to develop and deliver training and educational programs related to homeland security and disaster management, with a specific focus on natural hazards, coastal communities and the special needs and opportunities of islands and territories. The NDPTC actively engages internally with FEMA and the University of Hawai‘i, as well as with external partners across the region to integrate the delivery of its trainings, products and services

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning (http://www.durp.hawaii.edu/) in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa fosters a multidisciplinary set of intellectual and practical tools to improve the quality of life for present and future generations, both locally and globally, through planning, public policy and social collaboration.

The College of Social Sciences (http://www.socialsciences.hawaii.edu/) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa  (http://manoa.hawaii.edu/) is engaged in a broad range of research endeavors that address fundamental questions about human behavior and the workings of local, national and international political, social, economic and cultural institutions. Its vibrant student-centered academic climate supports outstanding scholarship through internships, and active and service learning approaches to teaching that prepare students for the life-long pursuit of knowledge.

The State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Health (http://health.hawaii.gov/) goal is to protect and improve the health and environment for all people of Hawaiʻi by promoting health and well-being, preventing disease and injury, promoting healthy lifestyles and workplaces, and promoting the strength and integrity of families and communities.