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An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies (2020) / Chapter Skim
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Section 6: Looking to the Future and Recommendations
Pages 41-47

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From page 41...
... The committee believes that this is an enduring fiduciary responsibility of DOS much like that afforded to military service members and others who have sustained injuries or disabilities in the performance of their government duties. Clarity about the nature of the illnesses that first began to affect DOS employees in Cuba in 2016 and subsequently in China, and the causative mechanism(s)
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From page 42...
... In addition, to be of maximal value, the committee suggests that the ABIT -- and other assessment tools -- be modified to obtain relevant epidemiological data such as physical location and local environmental parameters at the time of symptom onset to identify potential sources of threat. In order to ensure the sensitivity and specificity of the evaluation of personnel overseas, the committee recommends that the ABIT be reviewed on a periodic basis by an expert panel of physicians and scientists who can keep the assessment tool forward-facing with respect to present and future threats.
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From page 43...
... The committee suggests that DOS utilize an expert panel to provide advice on the collection of routine medical data. In addition to the information that may be necessary to counter a public health emergency involving Embassy personnel, a research investigation may be needed.
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From page 44...
... . The committee believes such attention to anticipatory governance will enable the expeditious and systematic collection of data necessary to elucidate novel threats while ensuring human subjects protections.
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From page 45...
... Capturing a suspected exposure event in real time is critical to establishing cause and effect given the transient nature of the suspected exposure mechanism. It is within the state of the art of RF electronics engineering to measure incident RF energy power levels, frequency bands, pulse width, pulse repetition rate, and angle of arrival.
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From page 46...
... Such medical investigations may be reserved for pre-specified circumstances in which there is concern that multiple DOS employees are the subject of a health attack. The committee urges additional specificity of response to the findings of the July 2018 Government Accountability Office Report in order to ensure that the proper information flow occurs between posts and Washington (GAO, 2018)
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From page 47...
... 2015. Ethical issues in environmental research related to public health contingencies: Reflections on the GuLF STUDY.
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Key Terms

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  • dos employees
  • committee suggests
  • human subjects
  • affected individuals

  • gulf study
  • global health
  • committee urges
  • health diplomacy
  • exposure characteristics

  • suspected exposure
  • expert panel
  • future threats
  • novel threats
  • health threat

  • health surveillance
  • occupational health
  • dos personnel
  • medical investigations
  • environmental surveillance

  • research response
  • med hart
  • assessment tool
  • symptom onset
  • epidemiological surveillance

  • brain injury
  • samples collected
  • study investigators
  • joint commission
  • healthcare organizations


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