NACCHO's 2019 Profile Study: Local Health Department Capacity to Prepare for and Respond to Public Health Threats

Local health departments (LHDs) play a critical role in their communities during a national pandemic. However, LHD emergency preparedness and response programs have been chronically underfunded and understaffed, hindering their ability to quickly mobilize in times of crisis. This brief outlines LHD capacity to conduct pandemic response and preparedness prior to COVID-19, using data from the National Profile of Local Health Departments (Profile) study.