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 In the last few weeks, heavy rains, landslides and floods have affected several countries in the Region (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, among others), that have caused emergency situations with personal and material losses.
In these types of emergencies PAHO/WHO recommends that the population increase hygiene measures, including washing hands with soap and water, storing food and medicine properly, and paying attention to the recommendations from authorities regarding the consumption of safe water. |
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The Smart Hospital project is being implemented with financial support from UKAid, Department for International Development and with the full support of the Ministries of Health and the National Disaster Management Offices. PAHO/WHO and UKAid are partners in this approach as we seek to show how safe and green initiatives can be combined to make critical facilities smart.
Members of the Smart Hospital Steering Committee spent two days in St. Vincent and the Grenadines reviewing the progress of the project and visiting the Georgetown Hospital that is being retrofitted as part of the demonstration component.
It is essential to have
preparedness and response plans for public health events in order to respond
effectively to an emergency. These should have been prepared in a collaborative
process and must be kept up to date. Disaster response plans are key for facing
future emergencies in an articulate and timely manner, and reducing the impact
of the events on affected communities.
Depression, grief, sleeping
disorders, mood and anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorders
are normal symptoms for those who have lived through a disaster. Humanitarian
aid-related problems, as anxiety due to lack of information among others, is
also a significant problem and many countries have taken important steps in
order to address these issues in disaster situations.
In disaster situations, the health sector has the responsibility to save lives, reduce permanent disability, provide medical services
to the injured and reduce the risk of disease and death. According to this new issue's editorial this can only be achieved if the protection of health facilities is made a priority. Other articles talk about 20 years of LSS/SUMA, the PAHO/WHO Emergency Operations Center, disaster risk management in the Region and new publications.
