Pandemic influenza

In Australia, Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments have been developing plans and resources for a pandemic since 2004.  In South Australia the government has been working with Local Government, the community and the private sector to plan for the challenges we might face during a pandemic.

SA Health is designated as a hazard leader for human disease and is responsible for the health aspects of pandemic influenza in South Australia.  The planning work completed for a pandemic influenza enabled South Australia to respond quickly and efficiently to the ‘swine flu’ pandemic (H1N1) in 2009.

A Human Disease Hazard Plan has also been developed which provides the overarching governance arrangements required in a major incident relating to a human disease outbreak.

The SA Health Operational Plan for Pandemic Influenza 2010 details the health and medical strategies to be employed in response to a pandemic outbreak in South Australia to improve the outcomes for the people of South Australia, the health sector, our society and the economy.

The Operational Plan is a ‘living’ document and will continue to be developed as SA Health’s knowledge of the pandemic threat increases.  The Operational Plan also provides the platform to manage a disease outbreak but allows for flexibility in its application according to the severity and transmissibility of the particular disease outbreak.  The Operational Plan is intended for both health care workers and the community and contains a series of sections relating to specific topic areas such as surveillance, border control, infection control, primary care management and antiviral agents.

The SA Health Operational Plan for Pandemic Influenza is consistent with the key strategies of preparedness, prevention, response and recovery (PPRR) outlined in the SA Emergency Management Plan.

For further information, please contact the Emergency Management Unit:

Email: emergencymanagement@health.sa.gov.au
Telephone: (08) 8226 7115