San Salvador, April 2026 — El Salvador hosted the CENTAM GUARDIAN 2026 simulation exercise, a regional initiative coordinated by the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), held from April 17–24 in San Salvador with the participation of national institutions, specialized teams, and countries from across the region.
The health sector component, conducted from April 20–23 under the national coordination of Civil Protection and with the participation of the Ministry of Health, aimed to strengthen the interoperability, coordination, and operational preparedness of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and health emergency coordination mechanisms for emergencies and disasters.
In this context, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) supported the country’s technical and operational preparedness efforts, contributing to the strengthening of EMT capacities, coordination mechanisms, and the implementation of operational tools and processes for health emergencies.
The exercise simulated a large-scale seismic event, allowing participants to evaluate the full response cycle of participating EMTs from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama, including activation, mobilization, deployment, operations, and demobilization. The exercise also tested the functionality of the Medical Information and Coordination Cell (CICOM), strengthening information management, needs analysis, and operational coordination through the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC).
The activity included a technical preparedness phase (“academy”), followed by a practical simulation exercise involving Emergency Medical Teams and other rapid response capacities. The exercise also strengthened civil-military coordination and collaboration among national institutions and regional teams, promoting the exchange of experiences and the harmonization of operational procedures.
Key outcomes of the exercise included strengthened emergency decision-making processes, improved national and regional coordination mechanisms, and optimized patient flow across different areas of care, including triage, stabilization, specialized care, and operational support.
CENTAM GUARDIAN 2026 also represented an important step in El Salvador’s ongoing efforts to advance the preparedness and classification process of its national EMT, promoting operational standards, deployment capacities, and coordination mechanisms aligned with the EMT Initiative in the Region of the Americas.
The exercise reaffirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen national and regional capacities to ensure coordinated and interoperable responses as key elements in protecting the lives and health of populations affected by emergencies and disasters.
