In 2020, many countries in the Americas suffered the devastating effects of an extremely active Atlantic Hurricane Season that exceeded expectations with 30 named storms. Of those, 13 became hurricanes, and 6 became major hurricanes—Category 3 or higher.
These events, combined with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, presented a multi-hazard scenario that aggravated the already vulnerable situation faced by the countries’ health systems during the pandemic.
At this time, the outlook for 2021 appears similar to 2020, with COVID-19 cases still rising in the Region and an upcoming active hurricane season. This meeting is an opportunity to review and strenghten health sector coordination. It is necessary to identify the existing resources and capabilities and adjust the preparedness and readiness plans to the new circumstances and challenges to ensure an effective health response in this complex scenario.
Meeting Objectives
1. Update on the 2021 Hurricane Season and extreme hydrometeorological events in the Region.
2. Identify health sector challenges and opportunities for the health emergency response to multi-hazard scenarios.
Review the meeting's presentations
- Record Breaking Hurricane Season 2020 and What’s New for 2021 – Ken Graham , NOAA/National Hurricane Center
- Extreme hydrometeorological events in the Americas - Anne Claire Fontan, World Metereological Organization
- Impacto en la infrastructura de la red de salud en Guatemala por los huracanes ETA / IOTA - Virginia Herzig, Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social de Guatemala (español)
- Impact and intersectoral response: challenges and opportunities - Joanne Persad, Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
- Respuesta en salud de la OPS a nivel nacional - Mauricio Cerpa, PAHO
- Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWAR) - Tshewang Dorji, PAHO
- PAHO’s Health Response at Regional Level - Leonardo Hernandez, PAHO
- Coordinación intersectorial en respuesta a huracanes ETA e IOTA - Eduardo Vélez,
Centro de Coordinación para la Prevención de los Desastres en América Central y República Dominicana (CEPREDENAC) (español).