Ministries of Health, Red Cross and PAHO Set Joint Action Plan in South America

Representatives from Ministries of Health of Andean Region countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) and from the Southern Cone (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay) met to define a strategic plan for interagency coordination on disaster management issues in the health sector. In the Southern Cone countries, cooperation will revolve around mapping health risks and vulnerability; hospital disaster planning; damage and needs assessment as a result of flooding; humanitarian supply management and promotion of a regional disaster health information network. The Andean Region will focus on most of these same areas and also include virtual disaster libraries and epidemiological surveillance in border areas. A joint plan of action among the Health Ministries, the Red Cross and PAHO in the two subregions will target several specific areas: gender and disasters as a crosscutting component in preparedness, mitigation and response plans; evaluating post-disaster damage in the health sector and logistics; and information, communication and connectivity. For more information, contact Dr. Alejandro Santander at asantand@ecu.ops-oms.org

Next

Index