The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are exposed to various natural and manmade hazards. We must be able to rely on our hospitals and health centers in all circumstances to avoid an increase in the number of victims after an event. This material, in French, includes a Guide, a training tool for using the guide, a questionnaire with a list of potential elements that can fail, and a short brochure with the key elements of the guide. The guide and accompanying materials have been designed specifically to aid in the construction of hospitals in Haiti, but the patterns shown may be of use to many countries and communities.

The Hospital Safety Index, a tool developed by PAHO and a group of Caribbean and Latin American experts, is being widely used by health authorities to gauge the probability that a hospital or health facility will continue to function in emergency situations. 

State-of-the-art wind hazard maps for Caribbean islands and nearby coastal areas of Central and South America are critical aids when designing where to locate a new health facility or rebuild a damaged one.

"Vida que te queremos tanto” (Life, we love you so much) is a series comprised of four radio soap operas produced by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It aims to increase awareness about how communities can address disaster risk reduction, to promote community safety and resilience in emergencies, and to increase the welfare and safety of citizens.

Find Resolutions and background documents from PAHO/WHO meetings of the Directing Council, demonstrating the health sector's commitment to safeguarding health facilities, as well as a host of other documents on the issue.

Much has been written about hospitals safe from disasters, thanks to interest generated by the World Campaign on this very issue. PAHO has prepared answers to some of the most commonly-asked questions we have received. The list will be updated as new questions arise.

Are you looking for more information than just the basics? Click on this link to view a list of full text publications on safe hospitals ( the Spanish-language section contains even more material! You can also visit our publications catalog and click on safe hospitals in the column to the left for other publications, video, articles and more.

The Disaster Mitigation Advisory Group (DiMAG) is an international, not-for-profit body of experts that is available to provide advice and services to PAHO/WHO member countries on risk and vulnerability reduction projects in the health sector. Learn more about the DiMAG and what it has to offer.