NCPERRC introduces new online Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations Resource Guide

Recently, at-risk populations have been incorporated into many of CDC's new Public Health Preparedness Capabilities, including community preparedness, emergency public information and warning, and medical countermeasure dispensing. However, one of the most challenging tasks when planning for at-risk groups is deciding how to define "at-risk."

The North Carolina Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (NCPERRC) at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health has developed a quick online resource guide to provide a customized list of resources with accompanying jurisdictional maps to aid local health departments (LHDs) preparedness planning for vulnerable and at-risk populations.

The Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations Resource Guide is intended to support LHD planning and preparedness activities by providing a filter or guide for the extensive array of existing resources, templates, PowerPoint presentations, Memorandums of Understanding, and case studies. Based on individual responses to a short series of questions, the Guide provides links to population-specific resources and tools to help LHDs work with vulnerable population groups to build or maintain partnerships.

The tips and resources contained in the Guide provide information related to:

• Identifying Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations
• Planning for Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations
• Building Community Partnerships

Custom maps using the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index help to illustrate each jurisdiction's vulnerable populations at the census tract level. Each tract is ranked according to its level of vulnerability in comparison to the average across the state. The automated guide gives LHDs instant feedback, thereby decreasing lag time to find information useful to planning and preparedness activities.

For more information about the Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations Resource Guide, visit the Guide online or contact Dr. Christine Bevc.

Maps generated by NCPERRC's new Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations Resource Guide are based on the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index.

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