World Trade Center Health Program: 20 Years After 9/11

Details

• Personal Author:
  Calvert, Geoffrey M. ; Howard J ; Reissman D
• Description:
  The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and at the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania caused over 3000 deaths in the immediate aftermath, and adversely affected the health of hundreds of thousands of responders- those involved in the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts following the 9/11 attacks-and survivors-building occupants, residents, workers and students attending schools in the New York City disaster area. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Obama created the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program to provide healthcare to responders and survivors affected by toxic agent exposures arising from the 9/11 terrorist attacks and their aftereffects. Originally authorised for only 5 years, the WTC Health Program was reauthorised by Congress in 2015 until the year 2090-thereby assuring a lifetime of care for those affected by 9/11 (42 US Code Section 300mm-300mm-61). ... The long period of time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks presents another challenge affecting responders and survivors who are currently enrolling or will enrol in the Program in the future. Applicants for Program membership need to demonstrate that their 9/11 exposure history meets eligibility criteria. However, the challenges of accurate recall after more than two decades, combined with the bias and barriers related to obtaining employment, school and residential records complicates the validation of 9/11 exposures and subsequent Program entry. Despite the challenges ahead, the WTC Health Program is a unique federal government health plan that remains steadfast in its mission to provide high-quality healthcare to 9/11 responders and survivors. At the same time, the Program remains dedicated to funding important research about health conditions arising from 9/11 exposures. Finally, the Program serves as a model for the future. A model for how to address the complex health issues that arise in the near and long term from any large-scale environmental disaster. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Environmental Exposure Hazardous Substances Men Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Women
• Keywords:
  Children Disaster Clean-up Disaster Recovery Disaster Response Disaster Sites Emergency Responders Exposure Levels Health Care Humans Risk Factors Terrorism Terrorism Response Toxins World Trade Center WTC

  More +
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  WTCHP - World Trade Center Health Program ; OD - Office of the Director
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  78
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063479
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2021 Oct; 78(10):697-698
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Geoffrey M Calvert, World Trade Center Health Program, NIOSH, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, R-12, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  jac6@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d219a732d40c6a930ed8d4e505a451ae4e72c32f2fed37fafb1544901626def47c0553c498a9cf1ffe01cc9f9f5148a6af36c094fa022a3ec6e6604ac23f5443
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/226539/cdc_226539_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 164.38 KB ]