A HEALTH SECTOR DISASTER PROGRAM- WHY?

Natural hazards, and the disasters they commonly become, are an integral part of the history of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, drought and landslides occur over and over again, claiming hundreds of thousands of victims. The direct and indirect effects translate into billions of dollars in damages.

Economic development in the Americas has increased the threat of technological disasters. But in many instances, inequalities in development have also heightened vulnerability to disasters. Environmental deterioration, poverty and social inequities contribute to disasters and intensify their deadly consequences.

Disasters constantly jeopardize health and development, and the health sector must play a key role in reducing their effects. Not only must the sector be prepared to respond, but it must also enact mitigation and prevention measures to protect its costly facilities.

In 1976, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean asked PAHO to create this technical program to help the health sector to develop a disaster preparedness, response and mitigation program.

WHAT DO WE DO?

Institutional strengthening supports the creation and enhancement of disaster programs in the Ministries of Health and promotes coordination with other sectors involved in disaster reduction.

Training, in the form of several hundred courses and workshops in all aspects of disaster management, benefits thousands of disaster professionals each year. In addition, we encourage universities throughout the Region to incorporate a formal disaster curriculum.

Preparation and distribution of training materials is a cornerstone of the Program, and over the last 20 years. PAHO has produced an enormous body of technical material (publications, slide and video programs). Print copies are available free of charge to disaster institutions in the Member Countries and electronic copies are on the Internet for worldwide access.

Investing in preparedness can be futile if, when a disaster occurs, a hospital or health center collapses at exactly the moment they are most needed. Mitigation measures can't stop a disaster from occurring, but they can reduce its impact. PAHO works at the highest level in the Member Countries to ensure that disaster mitigation becomes an integral part of national disaster reduction programs.

When disaster strikes, PAHO works with the affected country to identify and assess needs and damages in the health sector, including water and sanitation systems; establish an epidemiological surveillance system; monitor drinking water quality; mobilize aid from the international donor community; and manage donated relief supplies. PAHO captures and publishes the most important lessons learned in these situations to improve disaster management in the future.

WHO DO WE SERVE?

We serve the 35 Member Countries of the Pan American Health Organization, regional office of the World Health Organization. Our principal counterparts and beneficiaries are the Ministries of Health, particularly the national disaster reduction programs.

PAHO's decentralized disaster program works through:

	Three subregional disaster offices. Special regional technical cooperation projects. PAHO Offices in all Member Countries that direct cooperation activities. Five WHO Collaborating Centers providing specialized technical support.
	Disaster reduction is a multidisciplinary and multi-sector task. We collaborate with many organizations and sectors: Civil Defense, universities, NGOs, parliaments, donors and the media, among others.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Hospitals and drinking water and sewage systems must include disaster mitigation as a priority in their planning. PAHO works with international lending agencies and donors to ensure that, as a prerequisite for financing health facilities, disaster mitigation issues have been considered. PAHO also offers the countries support from an International Committee of Experts and a specialized Collaborating Center; supports vulnerability analyses and research; and publishes training material.

The overwhelming influx of donations following a major disaster poses a serious management challenge for most stricken countries. Since 1990, the SUMA system, created by PAHO, has helped to direct the logistics of humanitarian supply management, making the process more transparent and accountable.

PAHO spearheaded efforts in the Americas to use the Internet as a tool for communicating and exchanging disaster management information, and for providing local access to global sources of information. Listservs, discussion groups and specialized web sites cater to the Region's information needs.

Created by PAHO in 1990, CRID is now a multi-agency center, supported by six organizations. Its principal objective is to collect, classify and distribute technical and scientific documentation on all aspects of disaster reduction. CRID is the premiere source of information produced by and for Latin America and the Caribbean.