Leadership Forum and Blog

Pandemic Flu Leadership Forum
June 13, 2007
Washington, DC

On June 13, Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, convened a Leadership Forum in Washington, DC on pandemic preparedness. This interactive forum brought together highly influential leaders from the business, faith, civic and health care sectors to participate in dynamic discussions to help Americans become more prepared for a possible influenza pandemic.

Pandemics, while rare, are not new. In the 20^th century, three flu pandemics were responsible for more than 50 million deaths worldwide and almost a million deaths in the United States. It is not possible to predict with certainty when the next flu pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, but the time to plan is now. Ours is the first generation ever to have an opportunity to prepare in advance of a pandemic

In order to extend the value of this one-day conference, the Department of Health and Human Services also hosted a blog summit on preparing for a pandemic. This five-week online event, beginning on May 22, was part of an ongoing effort by the Department to help Americans become more prepared for a pandemic. The blog summit provided an opportunity for leaders – and members of the public – to join an open conversation and begin to shape the thinking about how to communicate the critical need for preparedness at home and within workplaces and communities. The blog is now closed for comments and archived at http://blog.pandemicflu.gov.