Health security
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Healthcare facilities play an essential role in response to terrorist attacks, but they also can be "soft targets" due to their accessibility and limited security. In this review, the authors used the Global Terrorism Database to conduct a search on terrorist attacks directed against hospitals and healthcare facilities between 1970 and 2018. Search terms included "healthcare," "doctor," "nurses," "vaccinators," "clinic," and "hospital," which resulted in 2,322 healthcare-related entries. ⋯ The most common method of attack was bombing, followed by direct attacks on healthcare infrastructure and armed assaults. Healthcare facilities remain vulnerable to violence, and lessons learned in the aftermath of these incidents can be used to raise awareness about important safety-related concerns within the national response framework. Healthcare and security experts must be aware of the vulnerability of this crucial infrastructure and take active steps to prevent attacks.
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Healthcare workers are at the highest risk of contracting novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and, therefore, require constant protection. This study assesses access to personal protective equipment (PPE), availability of adequate information about PPE use, self-reported ability to correctly wear and remove (donning and doffing) PPE, and risk perceptions associated with COVID-19 among frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan. Using a structured and validated questionnaire, an online survey was conducted from May 9 to June 5, 2020. ⋯ Of all the respondents, only 136 (30.02%) were tested for COVID-19 at least once, of which 32 (23.53%) ever tested positive. These findings suggest that healthcare workers in Pakistan had limited access to PPE. Adequate provision and training is vital to protect the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed critical failures in global public policy preparedness and response. Despite over a decade of exposure to other epidemics and pandemics, many, if not most, nation states have failed to integrate lessons learned into their pandemic preparedness and response plans. ⋯ In this paper, we explore the UK experience and propose that pandemics constitute multivector threats meriting attention within a health intelligence framework. They employ the processes of information management used by the intelligence sector to illustrate a procedural matrix for guiding public policy during complex health security events.