Introduction: special edition--public health.

• Author: Ries, Nola M.

The preparedness of our public health system to handle a novel or widespread infectious disease outbreak has been the subject of much analysis and debate since SARS emerged in 2002. While the urgency of SARS has faded, preparation for pandemic influenza remains a high priority.

Public health preparedness demands well-trained health care workers and appropriately resourced health care facilities. It also requires legal readiness and ethical preparation: legislation must provide appropriate tools to manage disease outbreak and emergency situations and public health actors must have ethical frameworks to help guide difficult choices. Following the SARS outbreak, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) issued a Request for Applications for research to examine legal and ethical lessons...