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Health Information for Disaster Preparedness in Central America

Health Information for Disaster Preparedness in Central America. Presentation to: World Bank October 2008 By: John C. Scott Center for Public Service Communications. Central American Network for Disaster Health Information. Project Origins. Hurricane Mitch - 1998

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Health Information for Disaster Preparedness in Central America

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  1. Health Information for Disaster Preparedness in Central America Presentation to: World Bank October 2008 By: John C. Scott Center for Public Service Communications Central American Network for Disaster Health Information

  2. Project Origins Hurricane Mitch - 1998 El Salvador Earthquakes 2001 Currently throughout Central America

  3. Managing Disastersis Managing Information Reliable information is the most valued commodity before and after a disaster.

  4. NLM/PAHO Special Project • Unique opportunity for collaboration between NLM, as the world’s largest medical library and PAHO whose mission is improving the health of the people of the Americas • Implementation Partners: the Regional Disaster Information Center for Latin America and the Caribbean CRID) and Center for Public Service Communications (CPSC)

  5. Disaster Information Management • Wealth of information but little is accessible • Information about lessons learned is valuable throughout the region, but little in writing and often not circulated. • Grey Literature • Disaster health information is perishable: it’s not peer-reviewed; frequently unpublished and not widely available • Internet Access • Internet access has been limited, but this is changing. Info access has gone from weeks/months to minutes and from hard copy to searchable electronic files

  6. Project Objectives • Training of health science librarians • Improving technology infrastructure • Development of Information Products

  7. Technology Infrastructure • Computer Equipment Installation • Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama • Each site received a server, router, UPS, switch, laser printer, scanner, and minimum two PCs • Internet Connectivity

  8. Information Products Digital Library • 3,800 documents digitized and available through the CRID web site • Links from DESASTRES database to documents • Documents also available from local disaster information centers • CDs: Top 100 documents special topics

  9. Information Products (continued) • Document accessibility • Develop full-text searching capability of documents • Web site development by participating sites • Health resources • Disaster resources • Local resources

  10. Other Activities • Disaster Health Information Center Toolkit • Expansion of Network • Funding from UK to add Guatemala • Possible Caribbean, South America expansion • Increased attention to related issues: environmental health/toxicology • Promotion and Evaluation • Information Product Development • Information Technology Support

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