Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, 2019

This report examines the country’s level of public health emergency preparedness on a state-by-state basis using 10 priority indicators. Taken together, the indicators are a checklist of priority aspects of states’ readiness for public health emergencies. However, these indicators do not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of states’ public health departments. Improvement in these priority areas often requires action from other agencies, elected officials or the private sector.

This series has tracked public health emergency preparedness in the United States since 2003. It has documented significant progress in the nation’s level of preparedness as well as those areas still in need of improvement.