AID grant no. AOT-3507-G-00-3188-00 to the Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] for disaster mitigation and preparedness in the health sector of Latin America and the Caribbean

Project activities will include: (1) 150 courses, workshops, and seminars per year on the planning and design of hospitals and other lifeline services, as well as operations under emergency conditions, with some 4,500 professionals attending; (2) development of national disaster mitigation/preparedness programs for the health sectors of the 10 most disaster-prone countries; (3) 15 courses/seminars on chemical accident preparedness and/or technological disasters; (4) development of a policy and operations manual outlining the role of PAHO in response to radiation or chemical emergencies; (5) production of a bibliography on technological disasters and chemical accident preparedness; (6) dissemination of at least 3,000 copies of a formal publication on the safety of health care installations, along with 4 slide sets, 2 video programs, and 4 technical manuals; (7) incorporation in the engineering and architecture curricula of at least six Latin American universities of material on mitigating damage to health infrastructure; (8) three inventory courses on the planning and design of hospitals and other lifeline services (e.g., water supply systems) in vulnerable areas, followed by 15 national workshops/courses on the subject; (9) development of a coordinated approach to disaster prevention in the Latin American and Caribbean health sector by concerned bilateral and international donors.