Documents and publications

Disasters such as the earthquakes in Turkey (1999), Gujarat, India (2001) and Bam, Iran (2003) or the cyclones in Grenada, Haiti and the Philippines (2004) call to mind images of a large number of injured victims awaiting medical treatment and makeshift

Why do schools collapse even during moderate earthquakes? Experts agree that many collapse due to avoidable errors in design and construction. Often, the needed technology is not applied and laws and regulations are not sufficiently enforced. Application

The report concludes international aid has to stop overwhelming countries with the wrong kind of help. "In Turkey, dozens of countries sent search-and-rescue teams," says Peter Walker, "but the money would be better spent on training local people in

The countries of the Region of the Americas are exposed to a large variety of natural hazards. Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, droughts, and floods affect many of the countries of the Region and cause major disasters. The number

The Pan American Health Organization, in collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Center on Disaster Mitigation at the University of Chile, and with the support of the World Bank and the ProVention Consortium, has published comprehensive Guidelines for

The experience of several countries shows that it is possible to employ a methodology for the design and construction of new health facilities that is capable not only of ensuring the safety of human lives, as has been the case until now, but of

This manual has two broad aims: first, to promote the proper and dignified management of dead bodies, and second, to maximize their identification. Following disasters, implementing simple measures early on can significantly improve the opportunity for

Published in May 2005, Know Risk Epidemics specifically addresses the ways that regional, national and local authorities can increase preparedness for emerging infectious diseases.
The book draws on the extensive knowledge of the scientific and academic