Recorded presentation

Barry S. Levy, MD, MPH, Adjunct Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine, P. O. Box 1230, Sherborn, MA 01770, 508-650-1039, blevy@igc.org and Victor W. Sidel, MD, Albert Einstein Medical College and Montefiore Medical Center, Distinguished University Professor of Social Medicine, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, New York, NY 10467.

In this session, contributors to Terrorism and Public Health (Oxford University Press, 2003) and others will present papers on current issues of prevention, preparation for and response to terrorism, which is defined in Terrorism and Public Health as "politically motivated violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, with the intent to instill fear." Terrorism may be perpetrated by nation-states, as will be discussed in the Peace Caucus session on "War and Public Health," or by non-state groups or individuals. Challenges include controlling weapons, addressing factors that may lead to terrorism, improving public health and medical care system capabilities to respond to all health needs, promoting a balance between response to terrorism and to other public health concerns, and resisting constraints on human rights. Public health workers can play important roles in addressing these challenges. This session will focus on current issues on terrorism and public health, including the adverse public-health and civil-liberty consequences of the War on Terrorism, new developments concerning ricin and other terrorist weapons, and efforts to improve the infrastructure of public health to address the threat of terrorist attacks.

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn to

• Define terrorism and understand the limitations of this definition
• Describe the roles of public health workers in relation to terrorism.
• Identify the potential problems for public health in addressing terrorism.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, War

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.

Recorded presentation