Over the years, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC) have strengthened their capacity to respond to emergencies and disasters. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic presence may pose challenges as it relates to the preparations for the hurricane season.
Additional measures need to be implemented to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen capacities of already stretched health systems and compromised essential services. Issues related to the management of shelters, infection prevention control, physical distancing, the availability of PPEs, gender equality and mental health and psychosocial support need now to be incorporated into the preparedness and response plans. If adequate preparations are not made, in view of the current context, we could find ourselves having to respond to a ‘disaster within a disaster’.
A webinar was held 12 June 2020, which brought together Chief Medical Officers, Health Disaster Coordinators and Chief Environmental Health Officers from Barbados and ECC. It provided a forum for discussion on the adaptation of existing preparedness and response plans including measures related to COVID-19. The objectives were to:
- Discuss the implementation of key actions and provision of technical guidance for health emergency and disaster risk management during COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ascertain status on countries preparedness and identify areas of support required from PAHO.
