Publications PAHO/WHO

2002 Publications and Information Resources on
Emergencies and Disasters Catalog

Our readers have patiently awaited a new catalog that would list all the technical information resources produced by PAHO in the field of emergencies and disasters. It is now available, with the hope that it will prove a useful guide to the most recent publications in the field, making life easier for all those interested in disaster reduction and emergency management.

The production of publications and training material remains one of the key roles of the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Program (PED). The catalog is clear proof of this commitment. Some works published in the past have been updated, while many new titles have been added with a view to meeting the information needs of those who need to stay up to date with the newest advances in vulnerability reduction and effective risk management.

For more information please contact
Pan American Health Organization,
Regional Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
525 Twenty-Third Street N.W.
Washington D.C., 20037
Tel (202) 974-3520 Fax (202) 775-4578
Subregional Office for Central America
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Program (PED),
Apdo. 3745, San José, Costa Rica
Tel +506 257-2141, Fax +506 257-2139
pedcor@sol.racsa.co.cr

Volcanoes: Protecting the Public’s Health Video and Handbook

Volcanoes: Protecting the Public’s Health is a video and handbook on volcanoes and disaster prevention and response by the health sector in the Americas. Both versions show the health hazards associated with volcanic eruptions and the basic planning measures that the health sector can and should take to reduce loss of lives and injuries.

Part one describes the hazards and part two shows what must be done to respond to volcanic emergencies.

For more information please contact
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Program (PED)

The handbook may be downloaded at
www.paho.org/spanish/ped/volcan_guia.htm
disaster-publications@paho.org
www.paho.org/desastres

It is universally accepted that optimum levels of stress can act as a creative, motivational force that can drive people to achieve incredible feats (eustress). Chronic or traumatic stress (distress) on the other hand, is potentially very destructive and can deprive people of physical and mental health, and at times even of life itself.

Emergency response personnel dedicate their life to helping people in stressful situations, and by doing this, exposing themselves to very stressful situations. Since the majority of Latin American and Caribbean countries did not have a comprehensive stress management program to preserve the psychological well being of their emergency response personnel, the Pan American Health Organization developed the Stress Management in Disasters in the Caribbean (SMID) program.

The program targets emergency response personnel and disaster workers as its primary group, but the principles of the program, with appropriate modification, can be used in the broader community. The two workbooks, Stress management in Disasters and Insights into the Concept of Stress were designed to provide the basic training material for persons who will be dealing with, or alleviating, stressful situations.