Issue No. 02 [2010]
PAHO, Catalyst for Health in the Americas. Health: Our Most Basic Asset.
January 20, 2010
 

NEWS & RELEASES - NOTICIAS
HAITI - Inmediate implementation of Public Health measures to deliver a more effective health care

- Dr. Mirta Roses, PAHO Director summarized today, January 20, PAHO response on Haiti at OAS in a meeting with Heads of International Organizations and OAS' agencies of the Inter American System.

- PAHO Head of Disaster Management is traveling to Haiti today, Wednesday, January 20, as part of OAS mission to the country.

 

- PAHO Director will travel on Thursday, January 21 to the Dominican Republic and moving into Haiti over the weekend with the Dominican Minister of Health, Dr. Bautista Rojas.
 

[Reporte Especial sobre la respuesta de la OPS al Terremoto en Haití]

Washington, DC. January 19, 2010.
126th WHO Executive Board - Special Session on HAITI. Geneva, Switzerland. (Video Conference)

PAHO Director special report to WHO-EB

"Global health response and aid to Haiti struggle to relief the humanitarian crisis"

This devastating natural disaster of unprecedented scale has compounded an already extremely challenging health situation in the most vulnerable country in AMRO. Our hearts and our actions are with the people of Haiti. The response required by us and the significant responsibilities we have as lead agency of the Health Cluster demand enormous resources.

Staff is working around the clock in many locations at the global, regional and country levels using all available resources to respond rapidly and effectively. Throughout these first six days since the earthquake, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of good will from Member States in the Region and all over the world, as well as from our WHO colleagues around the world, who offer support, supplies, expertise and funds. We are very grateful for this demonstration of solidarity and generosity. We recognize the support from all the WHO Regional Directors and the Director-General and colleagues from WHO/Headquarters.

As the health arm of the inter-American system, we are liaising with the Organization of American States, as well as with the team of Regional Directors of UN agencies ...

- Read more

 


PAHO Director strengthening coordination between UN Agencies to assist Haiti as a joint coordinated team
 

Washington DC. January 15, 2010.- Dr. Mirta Roses, PAHO Director, convened a teleconference between the UN Regional Directors for Latin American and the Caribbean (RDT LAC) to discuss a coordinatinated response to the Haiti emergency.

Dr. Roses provided updated information on the situation in Haiti and emphasized the importance of having a strong coordination and cooperation effort between UN agencies to ensure PAHO and the health cluster in Haiti can provide more effective health services that effectively treat thousands of injured people.

Directors and Representatives from UNDP, ECLAC, OCHA, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNEP, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNOPS and WFP exchanged information about the latest news and assessments of the situation in Haiti, coordinated details on the mobilization of assistance by the different UN agencies and agreed on the urgent need for strengthening coordination for more effective delivery of aid and assistance.

All the agencies have reestablished permanent contact with their personnel in the country, to coordinate the arrival and subsequent distribution water, food, medical materials, communication tools, tents, etc.

In an effort to deliver a more coordinated response; a special session on Haiti took place this Monday, January 18, where other actions were addressed to meet the most critical needs of the people in Haiti in the short term.

 

PAHO Press Briefing on Haiti Earthquake Response
PAHO Press Briefing on Haiti Earthquake Response Site

- Remarks by Dr. Jon Andrus, PAHO Deputy Director. PAHO Briefing on Haiti Earthquake Response
20 January 2010

A strong 6.1-magnitude aftershock shook Haiti today. Our Emergency Operations Center has not received any reports of additional damage or loss of life.

... PAHO has a country office in Haiti that, even before the earthquake, had 52 staff in-country working full time. Our role was to support Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health with technical cooperation, that is, with advice and state-of-the-art expertise about public health issues relating to the prevention and control of infectious diseases, health policy, immunization, maternal and child health, medical technologies, and—yes—the health aspects of disasters and humanitarian relief.

... In this crisis, PAHO/WHO—as the lead U.N. agency for health—is heading up what we call the Health Cluster in the humanitarian response there.

... Our main responsibilities are to assess the health situation in the aftermath of the earthquake, to make recommendations about priority health needs and interventions, to monitor health-related relief efforts, and to coordinate the various agencies providing health-related aid ...

- Read more
 

HIGHLIGHTS / IN FOCUS
HAITI
PAHO Emergency Operations Center
HAITI - Key public health risks and actions identified
WHO Executive Board

A representation from PAHO is participating in the 126th WHO Executive Board session and the Eleventh meeting of the Program, Budget and Administration Committee.

126th WHO Executive Board session
126ª reunión del Consejo Ejecutivo
126ème session du Conseil exécutif
Geneva, Switzerland.
18–23 January 2010.



KEY ISSUES:
Technical and Health matters among others

- Pandemic influenza preparedness
- Health-related Millennium Development Goals
- International recruitment of health personnel
- Infant and young child nutrition
- Food safety
- Noncommunicable diseases: global strategy
- Reduce the harmful use of alcohol: global strategy
- Tuberculosis control
- Viral hepatitis
- Leishmaniasis control
- Global eradication of measles
- Smallpox eradication
- Blood products: availability, safety and quality
- International Chemicals Management
- Psychoactive substances for international control

- Progress in public health during the previous decade and major challenges ahead. Report by the Director-General to the Executive Board at its 126th session

- Complete documentation:
   126th WHO Executive Board session
- Documentación completa:
   126ª reunión del Consejo Ejecutivo de la OMS

Contact

 

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Pan American Health Organization

Pan American Sanitary Bureau
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World Health Organization

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Phone: 1 (202)974-3000
Fax: 1 (202) 974-3663


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About Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago
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