Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program - Health Sector

This project is a component of the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program which seeks to increase the capacity of regional organizations national governments and local communities in the Caribbean to respond to and manage natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods and to reduce their impact on the people of the region. Specifically this project aims to reduce the medical impact that natural disasters and other emergencies can inflict on the people of the region. The project is managed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Working with national Ministries of Health hospitals clinics and national disaster offices PAHO’s medical team uses its expertise to enhance the technical capacity of health sector practitioners to prepare for disasters while providing them with new tools and technologies. Project activities include: (1) developing Caribbean adapted Health Sector Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation technical information and publications; (2) developing information systems on disaster risk reduction for the health sector; (3) providing targeted interventions for disaster resilient and more energy-efficient health care facilities; (4) training health human resources (women and men) in issues of disaster risk reduction and management; and (5) developing virtual emergency coordination platform for the Health Sector in the Caribbean.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased use of disaster management materials and tools in the Health Sector; (2) increased safety and environmental performance of health care facilities and (3) increased capacity to manage and reduce risk of morbidity and mortality following any type of disaster.