Robert M Brackbill, PhD¹, Pauline Thomas, MD¹, Sharon Campolucci, RN², and Deborah Walker, PhD¹. (1) Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth St, CN 6, New York, NY 10013, 212 788 5331, rbrackbi@health.nyc.gov, (2) Division of Health Studies, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333

The World Trade Center Health Registry is a public health response to the 9/11 disaster designed and implemented in collaboration with local and federal agencies and scientific advisors from government and academia. The WTC Health Registry will assess health effects from a wide range of physical and psychological exposures among persons in lower Manhattan on 9/11, as well as, affected residents, school children, rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers at the WTC site, Staten Island and barge recovery operations. The Registry will follow Registrants for 20 years. Names and contact information of people with the highest likely exposures were obtained from employers and directories. Registrants also self-identified via the web site and toll free number. 20,240 telephone and in-person interviews have been completed (as of 1/26/04). As of December 31, 2003 (see Data Snapshot on www.wtcregistry.org), registrants include workers (35%), residents (20%), occupants of 35 damaged or destroyed buildings on 9/11 (12%), and students or staff in schools (3%). 71% of registrants were south of Chambers St on 9/11 in other buildings or on the street (registrants could be members of more than group). More than 60% of registrants reported exposure to the dust/debris cloud that resulted from the collapsing buildings. The WTC Registry will be one of the largest registries of its kind. It is a unique and complex public health undertaking in response to an extraordinary calamity. The Registry will serve as a model for future post-disaster population based monitoring systems.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants in this session will be able to articulate a model for a post-disaster population based monitoring system and learn results about WTC disaster related exposure and health findings.

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Surveillance

Related Web page: www.wtcregistry.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.