WHEREAS, Hawaii is a major crossroads through which significant amounts of passenger and cargo traffic from all corners of the globe transit, which poses serious threats to the islands' quality of life, environment, and health and its economic well-being; and

WHEREAS, although Hawaii is an insular state geographically remote from the major continents, protection against various epidemics by virtue of our Pacific location is no longer guaranteed in these days of modern jet travel, where highly infectious and dangerous diseases can be as close as a six-hour plane ride; and

WHEREAS, although the Department of Health has a Communicable Disease Division, insufficient emphasis has been placed on preventive measures against the epidemic spread of various diseases, such as the West Nile virus and dengue fever in Hawaii, especially at the most common points of entry into the State; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health's Communicable Disease Division needs to intensify its efforts to take adequate preventive measures to address, contain, and eliminate threats of the introduction of various diseases that may escalate into epidemic proportions in Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Department of Health is requested to implement an epidemic prevention program to prevent the potential entry of communicable disease vectors that may cause an epidemic in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested, as part of the new program, to:

(3) Prepare and carry out active preventive measures;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to report on the activities of the epidemic prevention program annually as part of the Department's annual report; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 to carry out the purposes of the epidemic prevention program, including criteria for determining the risk of entry of various vectors, rating of the State's airports and harbors as to risk, and specific preventive methods to be used; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and the Director of Transportation.

Report Title:

Epidemic Prevention Program; Department of Health