PAHO celebrates international day for disaster risk reduction

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, celebrated every year on October 13, seeks to raise awareness of the need to take action to reduce disaster risk, and thus, have safer communities. The goal is to reduce the loss of human lives and property produced by disasters, by taking concrete actions.

This year the focus is on children and young people. Under the slogan "Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction," the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) aims to highlight on this date the need to involve more young people in prevention and mitigation measures.

Each year 66 million children are affected by disasters

When disaster strikes, children make up a very vulnerable group. Disasters have severe consequences on both the physical and psychological health of the children and on their education. Diarrhea, respiratory infections and malnutrition are the most common causes of child mortality after a disaster, and depression, anxiety and behavioral problems the most common psychological affectations. Education must also be taken more into account, since it is often overlooked in times of long-lasting humanitarian emergencies.

In order to reduce the vulnerability of these groups against disasters, it is necessary to promote the adequate participation of children and young people in disaster preparedness activities. It is also important to convey to these groups the proper way to act when an emergency happens.

University Students Drive the Safe Hospitals Initiative

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), through its Emergency and Disaster Program has, for the past few years, been promoting the Safe Hospitals initiative. The goal is to have health facilities capable of operating at maximum capacity and in the same infrastructure during and after an emergency.

The initiative is now being promoted by PAHO/WHO with support from strategic partners such as universities that, in different countries, have shifted the focus of safe hospitals to the academic field, and are using the tools recommended by PAHO to educate their students about the need to have health centers that are safe. The agreements with the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and the Universidad Don Bosco in El Salvador are good examples of this important achievement.

Thanks to these alliances, students at engineering and architecture faculties at the universities support in the training of personnel and in evaluating the safety of health facilities, which has a multiplying effect when the time comes to design and build new health facilities in the Region.

PAHO/WHO recognizes and values the important role played by theses students in disaster risk reduction, mitigation and disaster preparedness in communities, and so it joins in the global celebration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, which this year is focused on young people.