The Regional Disaster Information Center (CRID)’s mission is to promote the development of a culture of prevention in Latin American and Caribbean countries through the compilation and dissemination of disaster-related...

The World Health Organization has collaborated with the War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International to produce guidelines on providing psychological first aid to populations affected by humanitarian crises, such...

The radio drama, “Vida que te queremos tanto” (“Life, we love you so much”) is the third in a series of programs on disaster preparedness produced for countries in Latin...

This year’s World Disasters Report focuses on the global crisis of hunger and malnutrition. It analyzes the causes and impacts of food insecurity at the community, national, and international levels...

The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement to define and uphold the standards used by the international community when responding...

The United Nations 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Revealing Risk, Redefining Development indicates that many countries have made significant progress in reducing mortality risk, at least with...

In the past year, the Dominican Republic has made progress in strengthening the safe hospitals strategy. With PAHO/WHO support, the country has undertaken training and has used the Hospital Safety...

In the last year, Nicaragua has worked hard to implement the safe hospital strategy in its health facilities. Projects supported by the European Commission’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DIPECHO) to promote...

Thus far in the 2011 hurricane season, Hurricanes Emily and Irene have had the greatest impact in their trajectories through the Caribbean and United States.

Between 10 and 17 October, Central American countries suffered the impact of constant rains produced by Tropical Depression 12E. Extensive flooding and landslides caused damage to houses, roads and bridges,...

Humanitarian actors met in Port-au-Prince at the end of September to discuss strategic planning for Haiti in 2012. Representatives from the Haitian Government at local and national levels, donors, humanitarian...

A PAHO/WHO-sponsored Meeting of Health Disaster Coordinators from the Ministries of Health of the Americas took place from 25-27 October in Mexico City. PAHO/WHO disaster focal points also participated in...

A system that can be used to monitor and transmit information on water quality, known as SISCLOR, was developed in Haiti in response to the cholera epidemic there. Several agencies...

Two departments of El Salvador and two in Guatemala, under the guidance of  the Ministries of Health, have set up a geographic information system (GIS) for hospitals. The system uses...

The Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in decades; an estimated 12.4 million people are facing disease and malnutrition.

The Ministry of Interior of Mexico signed an agreement establishing the School of Civil Protection, an institution providing academic training in the field of civil protection and disaster prevention. The...

The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction celebrates the International Day for Disaster Reduction every year on 13 October. Beginning this year, and for the next four years, it will...

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) launched a platform for improving coordination of food security issues in crisis situations. The Food Security Cluster, under...

From the Americas to Africa, the Logistics Support System, better known as LSS/SUMA, is being adopted by ministries of health as a tool for the routine management of medical supplies.

About 70 professionals from Central America’s ministries of health, universities, social security, NGOs, European Community (DIPECHO) partners, and the Council of Ministers of Health from Central America and the Dominican...

The PAHO/WHO Directing Council, at its 51st Meeting held in Washington, D.C., in September 2011, approved a Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change. It calls for countries to...

On 20 October, 2010, Bautista Rojas Gómez, Minister of Public Health and Welfare of the Dominican Republic, was notified about suspected cases of cholera in the central region of Haiti....

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, on 11 March 2011, was the fourth largest earthquake recorded during the last 100 years. It was the source...