Expected direction of Japanese public health emergency preparedness based on a review of similar procedures in the United States

Abstract

Japan has developed specialized procedures for responding to earthquakes and typhoons prior to other events because of its geopolitical status. However, public health emergency preparedness targets have exponentially widened to include various objectives, including management of vulnerable persons, under several types of disaster events, which occasionally occur in combination. Recently, the United States of America (USA) and several European countries have reformed their emergency preparedness to confront the situation of terrorism and health pandemics. These efforts are expected to develop to systematic plans based on high-level information sharing and inter- and intra-national cooperation. Establishment and amendment of applicable laws have had huge effects on the framework in each country. Therefore, in this article, we review the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), its reauthorization act, and articles reporting related procedures in USA. PAHPA mandated the Department of Health and Human Services in the USA to assume a leading role to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and reform the nation's overall health security strategy. The act explicitly describes setting priorities, efficiently solving problems, ensuring surge capacity needs are met, among other activities. These reforms out of the USA suggest that laws related to an all-hazards approach could effectively guide public health emergency preparedness by enhancing cooperation, developing information technology utilization, setting targets, and distributing emergency preparedness budgets.