Which of the following are the responsibilities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in relation to disasters? (Select all that apply.)

Question

a. Contacting family members with up-to-date information regarding victims and their condition
b. Coordinating local services to prevent duplication and fragmentation
c. Delivering first aid and arranging for prescription medications that were lost to be replaced
d. Detecting disease outbreaks, their cause, and risk factors, and implementing interventions for control
e. Ensuring that drinking water, food, shelter, and medical care are available to victims
f.
Setting up safe and comfortable disaster shelters (emergency housing) for families

Answer 1

ANS: D, E
After the rescue of survivors has been accomplished, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the CDCâ€"which is responsible to the HHSâ€"steps in to ensure that clean drinking water, food, shelter, and medical care are available for those affected. Preparedness includes vigilance and reporting of suspicious illnesses (e.g., signs and symptoms of biological agents, food-borne diseases, and communicable diseases) in the community by physicians and nurses in local health care facilities or private offices and clinics. Public health officials then have the responsibility of detecting outbreaks, determining the cause of illness, identifying the risk factors for the population, implementing interventions to control the outbreak, and informing the public of the health risks and preventive measures that need to be taken. Many of the other choices are actually services offered by the American Red Cross.