Human pandemic influenza : business continuity guidelines / Local Government Association of South Australia, Pandemic Awareness Project.

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Business continuity planning has traditionally focused on forming contingencies to safeguard critical assets and infrastructure. Increasing awareness about other emerging threats, such as terrorism and biological agents has served to remind that human assets will also need some protection. Whilst it is not known when a pandemic will occur, or how severe it will be, the ongoing threat of Avian Influenza (H5N1) prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue a ?Phase 3 global pandemic preparedness alert?1. Consequently, governments and organisations around the world are taking this threat seriously and forming plans to reduce the consequences of pandemic disease. The most significant impact for organisations would be on staffing levels. The Australian Government recommends that businesses plan for a pandemic which gives rise to 30-50% absences for several months. The phenomenon known as ?Bird Flu? is not new. Influenza A viruses have always developed first in bird species. These viruses have a unique capacity to mutate over time. This tendency gives rise to a risk of the formation new sub-types forming which infect other animal species. Health experts are concerned that the current avian influenza (subtype: H5N1) virus may change to become transmissible from person to person and give rise to a new world-wide disease epidemic (pandemic). Researchers believe that 10 pandemics, of varying severity, have occurred in the past 300 years. There have been 3 pandemics last century, occurring in 1918, 1957 and 1968. The 1918 ?Spanish Influenza? yielded particularly severe consequences with approximately 50 million deaths occurring and 25% of the world population infected with the virus. Historical evidence has reinforced how potentially serious and widespread a pandemic influenza can be. Historical evidence and current biological surveillance has prompted the Council of Australian Government (COAG) in 2006 to form ?all of government? action plans. The key element of COAG endorsed role for Australian Local Government is the preparation of business continuity plans2. These Guidelines are formed for South Australian Local Government and follow a structured risk management approach based upon AS/NZS 4360. The planning process involves risk identification, analysis, evaluation and treatment strategies associated with human pandemic influenza. Section 7 of the Local Government Act, articulates a role to protect the community against natural and other hazards/disasters. It is anticipated that through the process of undertaking business continuity planning, councils can be more securely positioned to serve the heightened needs of their respective communities in the context of this type of disaster.