Health Emergencies

The objective of the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) work in Health Emergencies is to increase the health sector resilience to emergencies and disasters. Our priority is to deliver rapid, predictable, and comprehensive support to Member States in terms of prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, surveillance, response, and early recovery in case of any threat to human health, including outbreaks or disasters caused by natural phenomena, biological, chemical or radiological agent, human activities, conflicts or any other hazard. When national capacities are overwhelmed, PAHO is ready to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain disasters, including outbreaks, and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

Areas of work

personal de salud con trajes de protección

Infectious Hazard
Management

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Country Health Emergency Preparedness and IHR

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Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment

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Emergency Operations

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Emergency Core Services

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Disaster Risk Reduction and
Special Projects

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Access all health emergencies courses available on PAHO's Virtual Campus

VIEW COURSES

Featured publications

PAHO Health Emergency Appeal 2023

Countries in the Americas face a complex landscape, with the growing risk of outbreaks and epidemics, the persistence of communicable diseases, the rise of non-communicable diseases, exposure to a wide range of natural hazards of increasing scale and frequency, the accelerating impacts of climate change, and everchanging socio-economic challenges. The Region also faces significant inequalities between and within countries and an accelerated demographic transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this context, the prolonged COVID-19 crisis exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities and worsened cumulative humanitarian needs throughout the Region, fueling some of the main drivers of internal displacement and migration.

PAHO’s Health Emergencies Appeal 2023 highlights the regional priorities of the Organization to support the protection of communities and populations affected by acute, prolonged, and protracted health emergencies throughout the Americas, starting with individuals in situations of vulnerability.