Continuation of 3.2.
3.2.2. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
PAHO/WHO has created Regional Response Teams (RRTs), comprised of specialists in health and disasters. The teams assist countries that are dealing with emergencies or disasters. The Team is responsible for carrying out a rapid assessment of needs, assisting in coordinating emergency response, and advising PAHO/WHO and its partners. The Team assists in the health sector’s response to an emergency, paving the way for installation of the health cluster, as prescribed by the United Nations Humanitarian Reform.
The RRTs are composed of PAHO/WHO staff, experts from countries in the Region, specialists in technical areas such as epidemiology, mental health, water and sanitation, health services, health and the environment, management, logistics, and information and communications. Depending on needs, other disciplines may also be required – for instance, nutrition, vector control, structural engineering, expertise in chemical or technological accidents, volcanology, and bioterrorism, among others.
The Team is activated and mobilized at the request of the PAHO/WHO country office, in consultation with the country’s ministry of health. The RRT supports these two entities and coordinates with other national authorities and international teams present in the country, such as UNDAC, INSARAG, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The basic purposes of the RRTs are:
- To mobilize a team of technical experts in public health to provide the support needed for emergency operations in one or more affected countries.
- To work with national authorities to rapidly assess health hazards and needs in the health sector in order to coordinate the response activities of the international agencies involved.
- To advise the health sector on decisions regarding immediate interventions.
- To analyze health information and determine what potential public health risks the population faces.
- To collect and quickly disseminate information with implications for public health.
- To support activation of the health cluster and other specialized working groups in the framework of the humanitarian reform process.
Read more about the regional response team in the Americas. Take a look at the evaluation forms used to assess a variety of post-disaster health issues.