Pan American Health Organisation Regional Office of the World Health Organisation	2000	European Community Humanitarian Office

Many health administrators, engineers and others have contributed to this publication and it is not possible to acknowledge them all individually. However Marcel Clodion, Regional Advisor for the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and Dana Van Alphen, PAHO Regional Advisor in Disaster Preparedness in the Caribbean provided both financial and other support, and Claudio Osorio, PAHO Advisor in Disaster Mitigation in Costa Rica submitted useful comments on the draft. Tony Gibbs, Director of Consulting Engineers Partnership Ltd., Barbados applied his special expertise as the Technical Advisor and David Taylor, PAHO Advisor in Hospital Management, Office of Caribbean Programme Coordination contributed the narrative and provided overall editorial direction. Finally, special thanks go to Curtis Challenor of Genesis Graphics, Barbados who assembled the document for the printers and patiently incorporated many last minute changes.

Financial Support for this publication was provided by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO).

ISBN 976 8078 00 6

The Pan American Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. Applications and inquiries should be addressed to the Caribbean Programme Coordinator, Pan American Health Organization, P.O. Box 508, Bridgetown, Barbados, W.I., who will be glad to provide the latest information on any changes made to the text, plans for new editions, and reprints and translations already available,

Cover photograph: Severe damage to a hospital in the Caribbean following a Hurricane (PAHO).