Project profile — Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program - Health Sector

• West Indies, regional (100.00%)

• Basic Health: Basic health infrastructure (12230) (10.27%)
• Disaster Prevention And Preparedness: Disaster prevention and preparedness (74010) (89.73%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (principal objective)

This project is a component of the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program, which seeks to increase the capacity of regional organizations, national governments and local communities in the Caribbean to respond to and manage natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods and to reduce their impact on the people of the region. Specifically, this project aims to reduce the medical impact that natural disasters and other emergencies can inflict on the people of the region. The project is managed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Working with national Ministries of Health, hospitals, clinics and national disaster offices PAHO’s medical team uses its expertise to enhance the technical capacity of health sector practitioners to prepare for disasters, while providing them with new tools and technologies. Project activities include: (1) developing Caribbean adapted Health Sector Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation technical information and publications; (2) developing information systems on disaster risk reduction for the health sector; (3) providing targeted interventions for disaster resilient and more energy-efficient health care facilities; (4) training health human resources (women and men) in issues of disaster risk reduction and management; and (5) developing virtual emergency coordination platform for the Health Sector in the Caribbean.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased use of disaster management materials and tools in the Health Sector; (2) increased safety and environmental performance of health care facilities and (3) increased capacity to manage and reduce risk of morbidity and mortality following any type of disaster.

Results achieved as of March 2022 include: (1) produced five gender-sensitive disaster risk reduction publications (guidelines and manuals) with 100% of ministries of health across the Caribbean utilizing at least one project guideline or manual in their disaster risk reduction and response programs; (2) implemented eight disaster-resilient and environmentally friendly interventions in health facilities; (3) trained over 3,000 health care workers in various disaster risk reduction and management disciplines. This included mass casualty management and emergency care and treatment. As a result of COVID-19; project funds are reallocated to relief efforts in Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, Belize, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica; (4) supported the procurement of test kits and training of healthcare workers in COVID-19 clinical care and management; and (5) supported the Health Emergency Operations Centre in the coordination efforts for the pandemic response.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities:
• Caribbean Disaster Risk Management - Community Resilience
• Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program
• Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Program - Knowledge Sharing
• Disaster Risk Management - Health Sector