Member countries

Andean Legislators to Meet on Disaster

It is in halls of national Parliaments and Congresses where measures having to do with disaster prevention, mitigation, response, and preparedness are either promoted, approved, or rejected. Increasingly, national legislators are actively engaged in discussions regarding national and subregional initiatives, as was the case at the Inter-American Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction held in March and the Meeting of Andean Health Sector Coordinators in September 1993.

The legislators in Andean countries are taking a proactive role in following up on recommendations made at these two meetings. Ecuador's Parliament created a Special Disaster Commission just three weeks after the September meeting. The Andean Parliament is organizing a seminar on environmental safety and vulnerability to disasters that will take place in July in Ambato, Ecuador. National and regional authorities and legislators will also discuss the organization of their national civil defense agencies, and the coordination of activities by governmental and nongovernmental institutions that are working in disaster issues. For more information on this meeting, please contact Dr. Luis Jorge Pérez, Subregional Advisor, PAHO/WHO, Apartado Postal 17-07-8982, Quito, Ecuador; Fax (59-32) 464630.

Costa Rica: CNE Receives Award

The Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (National Emergency Commission - CNE) of Costa Rica received the 1994 Sasakawa/DHA Disaster Prevention Award. The CNE was chosen from an international list of candidates for their activities and achievements in disaster prevention and preparedness. The award was created in 1986 to recognize excellence in this field.

Venezuela

Society of Emergency and Disaster Medicine Inaugurated

In February, the Venezuelan Society of Emergency and Disaster Medicine was inaugurated, with the aim of bringing together physicians specializing in the field as well as other practitioners of disaster management. The aims of the Society are to promote national health policies that will include disaster plans, and to foster the inclusion of emergency and disaster medicine programs within schools of medicine in the country. Another objective is to stimulate national and international interchange of information and experiences in the field of disaster preparedness, mitigation, and prevention. For more information contact Dr. José González Cisneros, Sociedad Venezolana de Medicina de Emergencias y Desastres, Colegio de Medicos del Edo. Miranda, Urb. El Bosque, Av. Golf, Caracas, Venezuela.

Disaster Medicine Course

The School of Medicine at the Universidad de Oriente, Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, includes a course on emergency medical assistance and disaster and emergency response for students receiving practical professional experience. The course was designed so that can it be adapted for the secondary, university, postgraduate and community levels. The teachers of the course would like to exchange experiences with others working in the same field. Please contact: Dr. José E. García Velasco, Coordinador SAR.RSC-Angostura, Div. Búsqueda y Salvamento, Aptdo. Postal 337, Ciudad Bolívar, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela 8001.

Correction

In the October 1993 (No. 56) issue of this newsletter, an error was made in the printing of the name and address of Dr. Oscar M. García Romero, Executive Coordinator of the Commission for the National Program on Emergency Preparedness and Disasters of Argentina. The correct address is Salguero 3457 (1425) Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.