Bill Clinton: “Thank you. Before we move off the public health issues, I'd like to ask Secretary Shalala to comment about a number of…”

“Thank you. Before we move off the public health issues, I'd like to ask Secretary Shalala to comment about a number of issues. The obvious one is the water situation and with regard to potable water. But there are some other issues here: Are there any risks of disease from other flooded facilities, water facilities or treatment facilities or flooded fields washing pesticides? Are there environmental risks there? What about the damage sustained that we are aware of by Federally supported public health facilities? And so a lot of public health issues here, and I'd like for Secretary Shalala to just make whatever comments she'd like to make about that. [Secretary Shalala discussed cooperative public health efforts concerning infectious diseases and mental health.]”