Schools of public health update

At a meeting of directors and curriculum coordinators of the schools of public health of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Washington late last year (see issue No. 18) it was agreed to include health management of disasters in their degree program teaching curriculum.

Several schools have already taken steps to include courses on the subject in their 1984 teaching programs. The following activities have been scheduled so far:

Brazil: The department of social medicine of the school of public health of Riberão Prêto will hold a seminar for faculty members from 10 to 14 September. The school of public health of São Paulo will hold a similar session form 17 to 21 September and the school in Rio de Janeiro has tentatively scheduled its faculty session for 24 to 28 September. The seminars will have a standard content and methodology and will use national experiences with floods as case studies. After completing the sessions, faculty members are expected to design study courses in disaster management for their respective teaching areas.

Chile: The school of public health of the University of Chile has tentatively scheduled its first faculty session for early 1985.

Colombia: The Department of Social Medicine of the University of El Valle, in Cali, held a seminar for faculty members from 18 to 22 June. It was followed immediately by a course for students enrolled in the master of public health degree program. The national university in Bogotá, the national faculty of public health in Medellin and the Javeriana University will hold similar workshops in October and have planned to include the subject in next year's academic program.

Ecuador: The school of public health held a seminar for faculty members of undergraduate and graduate teaching programs in medicine, nursing, public health and environmental sanitation from 21 to 24 May.

Peru: The school of public health faculty seminar on health management of disasters is scheduled for the first week of November 1984.