| Summary: | "With a new preface assessing leadership responses to the coronavirus pandemic, this classic text explores leadership problems that can develop during public health crises such as the 2001 anthrax attacks, 2003 SARS epidemic, and 1980's-90's Mad Cow disease epidemic. A threat to public health, such as a rampaging virus, is no time for a muddled chain of command and contradictory decision making. Who's In Charge? Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises, re-issued with a new preface assessing leadership during the COVID-19 outbreak, explores the crucial relationships between political leaders, public health officials, and journalists to see why leadership confusion develops. As the problematic response to COVID-19 has once again shown, the reluctance of politicians to risk alarm can run counter to the public-health need to prepare for worse cases. Many leaders will seek high visible during a public health crisis, but since politicians are not medical experts the more they speak the more they risk disseminating harmful information. How to achieve the right balance is the essence of Dr. Kahn's book. Beginning by looking at the overarching issues of leadership and public health administration, it then examines in depth five emergencies - the 2001 anthrax attacks and 1993 cryptosporidium outbreaks, the 2003 SARS outbreak, the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the battle against Mad Cow Disease. First-person accounts from leaders involved in actual early 21st century crises, as well as leading experts, scientists, and others Primary documents including excerpts from official reports and the medical literature Chronologies of early 21st century public health emergencies A comprehensive index organized by disease and by individuals involved in emergency response "--
|
|---|
