Boston APHA

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Global Earth Observations A New Approach to
Prevention, Early Warning and More Rapid
Problem-Solving
Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D.
U.S. Navy (Ret.) Under Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) November 7, 2006 American Public
Health Association 134th Annual Meeting, Boston,
MA.
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Main Causes of Death Among Children Under Five
2000 - 2003
Acute respiratory infections 19
WHO reports that about 25 of the total burden of
disease can be attributed to environmental and
occupational factors.
Neonatal causes 37
Malaria 8
Measles 4
Diarrheal diseases (post-neonatal) 17
Other 10
HIV/AIDS 3
World Health Report 2005
Injuries 3
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Outbreak Detection and Response
CASES
DAY
- 120
Adapted from J. Davis, Climate Adaptation Workshop
, Nov. 2003
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Effective Health Early Warning
CASES
DAY
- 120
Outreach and stakeholder involvement
Adapted from J. Davis, Climate Adaptation Workshop
, Nov. 2003
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Rainfall and Malaria Weekly Cases in Niger from
2001 to 2003
Thiaw, W. NOAA/OHHI
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El Niño Early Warning for Cholera
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Sea Surface Temperature Linked to Cholera
Bay of Bengal
Lobitz et al. 2000 PNAS 971430
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Thinking Globally, Acting Locally
Dr. Rita Colwell
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Thinking Globally, Acting Locally
Sari Cloth Filtration Reduces Cholera
CasesFall, 2000
Dr. Rita Colwell
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Lyme Disease Predicting the Risk
Larvae feed on infected host and becomes infected
Larvae dormant over winter
Larvae develop
In spring, larvae molt into a nymph that
transmits disease to a person or animal
Nymph grows to adult tick
Adult tick drops off host, lays eggs on the ground
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Biodiversity Ecosystem Health Human Health
Natural barrier to storm surges and other natural
events
Major source of protein over a billion people
rely on reef-related fisheries
Pharmaceutical promise
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A Global Earth Observation System of SystemsGEOSS
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From Observation to Action
Achieving Comprehensive, Coordinated, and
Sustained Earth Observations for the Benefit of
Humankind
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66 Countries and the European Commission
43 Organizations
Algeria Argentina Australia Bahrain Belgium Belize
Brazil Cameroon Canada Central African
Republic Chile China Croatia Cyprus Denmark Egypt
European Commission Finland France Germany Guine
a-Bissau
Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Irel
and Israel Italy Japan Kazakhstan Latvia Luxembour
g Malaysia Mali Mauritius Mexico Moldova Morocco N
epal Netherlands New Zealand Niger
Nigeria Norway Paraguay Philippines Portugal Repub
lic of Korea Republic of the Congo Russian
Federation Slovak Republic Slovenia South
Africa Spain Sudan Sweden Switzerland Thailand Tun
isia Uganda Ukraine United Kingdom United
States Uzbekistan

www.earthobservations.org
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U.S. Group on Earth Observations

• Department of Commerce
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric
• Administration
• National Institute for Standards and
• Technology
• Department of Defense
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Navy
• Air Force
• National Geospatial-Intelligence
• Agency
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services

• Department of Transportation
• Environmental Protection
• Agency
• National Aeronautics and
• Space Administration
• National Science Foundation
• Smithsonian Institution
• Tennessee Valley Authority
• U.S. Agency for International
• Development
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

usgeo.gov
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GEOSS
ValueAdded
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GEOSS Operating Principles
Open and Transparent Process Standardized
Practices and Protocols User-friendly
Formats Interoperable Components
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Malaria Case Example
Global Observations
Climate
Sea Surface Temperature
Land Cover
Land Use
?
Other observations
Local/Regional Observations
GEONETCast
Weather
Disease Surveillance
Mosquito Surveillance
Social Factors
Demographics
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Malaria Case Example
GEONETCast
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The goal is to access the right information,in
the right format, at the right time, for the
right people, to make the right decisions.
www.earthobservations.org