The 2009 H1N1 pandemic tested the limits of the public health emergency preparedness systems in the US and abroad. The successes and failures from this pandemic remain relevant, particularly as pathogens like MER-CoV and Ebola continue to proliferate. As the world's population continues to travel farther and with more frequency than ever before, the lessons of 2009 stand as important touchstones for future public health infrastructures and interventions. The Public Health Response to 2009 H1N1: A Systems Perspective draws lessons from the public health system's response to the influenza pandemic, offering a collection of chapters that are highly relevant to all public health emergencies. Not simply a historical case study, this analysis employs a systems perspective that encompasses both government health agencies and community-based entities such as care providers, schools, and media. The chapters demonstrate rigorous qualitative research approaches that can be used to analyze public health system responses to both pathogens and a wide variety of other public health emergencies. With contributions from a broad panel of experts, the book will be useful for anyone seeking to learn from pH1N1 and to see public health systems in current, specific contexts. The Public Health Response to 2009 H1N1 draws important insights from this global event and will help improve public health emergency preparedness systems for future pandemics.

Thousands of HIV-positive women give birth every year. Further, because many pregnant women are not tested for HIV and therefore do not receive treatment, the number of children born with HIV is still unacceptably high. What can we do to eliminate this tragic and costly inheritance? In response to a congressional request, this book evaluates the extent to which state efforts have been effective in reducing the perinatal transmission of HIV. The committee recommends that testing HIV be a routine part of prenatal care, and that health care providers notify women that HIV testing is part of the usual array of prenatal tests and that they have an opportunity to refuse the HIV test. This approach could help both reduce the number of pediatric AIDS cases and improve treatment for mothers with AIDS.
Reducing the Odds will be of special interest to federal, state, and local health policymakers, prenatal care providers, maternal and child health specialists, public health practitioners, and advocates for HIV/AIDS patients. January