Editorial
The Cluster Approach: Factors for Succcess

This editorial continues the discussion on the UN Cluster Leadership Approach that began in the April issue of this Newsletter. With the trend toward the “internationalization” of disaster response becoming more commonplace, what can Latin American and Caribbean countries expect when the next major emergency strikes? (More)

The Price of Ignoring Mental Health

Requirements for food, clothing, shelter and medical assistance are well documented aspects of the first response to a disaster. In addition to these basic services, relief organizations should anticipate and prepare for a wide variety of mental health needs. (More)

English-Language LEADERS Course Slated for November

The English-language LEADERS Course is back by popular demand. The Pan American Health Organization, in close partnership with the Regional Center for Disaster Risk Reduction of the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) is offering this skill-enhancement course for stakeholders working in the field of disaster risk reduction. (More)

PAHO’s Disaster Staff on the Move

Several PAHO/WHO disaster experts have rotated duty stations among the Organization’s subregional disaster offices in the Americas. (More)

WHO Moves from Lessons to Action Following the Tsunami

Most of the countries affected by the December 2004 tsunami are located in the geographical area managed by WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), which hosted a meeting in Bali, Indonesia to review progress toward achieving benchmarks for emergency preparedness and response and to transform these into a framework for intensifying country/community capacities. (More)

ISDR Campaign Focuses on Schools

The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and its partners have launched the 2006-07 global campaign “Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School.” The campaign will promote the inclusion of risk reduction in the school curriculum of at-risk countries and will help to improve school safety by encouraging the use of construction standards to design or retrofit schools to withstand any kind of natural hazard. (More)

Hurricane Season is Here!

Hurricane season began in June and already Tropical Storms Alberto, Beryl and Chris have brought heavy rains and flooding to the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean and the southern U.S. Predictions point to another busy season. (More)

Mass Casualty Planning in Full Gear in the Caribbean

Nine Caribbean countries are hosting the Cricket World Cup next March (see January 2006 issue of this Newsletter). In preparation for this event, which will draw huge crowds, and at the request of some Member States, PAHO’s subregional disaster office in Barbados has stepped up training programs in mass casualty management (MCM), incident command systems (ICS) and Emergency Care and Treatment (ECAT). (More)

Flood Recovery Underway in Suriname

Severe flooding in early May 2006 affected up to 20,000 people in Suriname and left large areas of the country submerged. At its peak, flooding affected as much as 30,000 square km, including 157 villages. Thousands were forced to abandon their homes and their livelihoods. (More)

Andean Countries Set Strategies for Technological Disasters

Five Andean Region countries sent representatives with wide ranging expertise—health, environment, management, response and civil defense—to Quito, Ecuador to develop the strategy for a regional emergency prevention and response plan for chemical and radiological accidents. (More)

Radio Soap Opera Replayed in Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago kicked off hurricane season by rebroadcasting “The Rough Season,” a radio soap opera that aims to raise awareness of disaster risk among vulnerable communities in the English-speaking Caribbean. (More)

Bogota Prepares its Citizens for Earthquakes

The elevated seismic risk that Bogota, Colombia lives with daily prompted the capital city’s disaster prevention and response office to produce a colorful, well-written booklet on what to do before, during and after an earthquake. (More)

Mental Health Guidelines in Disaster Situations

Depending on the magnitude of a disaster and other factors, one-third to one-half of the affected population can manifest some type of psychosocial problem. Post-disaster mental health problems will require prolonged attention as the victims struggle to rebuild their lives. (More)

Field Version of Manual on Management of Dead Bodies Now Available in Spanish

In the April 2006 issue of the newsletter we announced the publication of Management of Dead Bodies after Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders. The Spanish version has now be published. This manual emphasizes the need to give the appropriate importance to the handling of dead bodies after disasters. The book contains several identification and information forms that  can be adapted to the type of disasters and the country or region where it strikes. Those interested in this practical field manual in either the Spanish or English version can download it in PDF format from PAHO’s website. (More)

Malaria Control in Complex Emergencies

The areas of the world whose populations are most affected by complex emergencies are often those with the greatest malaria burden. Consequently, malaria is a significant cause of death and illness in complex emergency situations. WHO has published this handbook in coordination with other agencies, including Medecins sans Frontieres, UNHCR, and the CDC. (More)

CRID

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 information and the promotion of cooperative efforts to improve risk management in the Region. (More)