Public health management of influenza and SARS in industrialized countries: strengths, weaknesses and future prospects as evaluated through Health Impact Assessment

Through a literature search, the authors aimed to identify the major strengths and weaknesses in implemented strategies for the management of public health emergencies in industrialized countries, in particular the recent influenza pandemic and SARS outbreak. Strategies were assessed by Health Impact Assessment, an efficient tool for evaluating the potential positive and negative effects of plans, projects, and policies, that can aid decisionmakers by providing recommendations to increase positive health outcomes and minimize adverse outcomes.