Brazil: Floods - Apr 2009

Abstract

Background

Accurate malaria diagnosis is mandatory for the treatment and management of severe cases. Moreover, individuals with asymptomatic malaria are not usually screened by health care facilities, which further complicates disease control efforts. The present study compared the performances of a malaria rapid diagnosis test (RDT), the thick blood smear method and nested PCR for the diagnosis of symptomatic malaria in the Brazilian Amazon.

This report covers the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009.

In brief

Programme purpose: Support five National Societies in the Southern Cone and Brazil to effectively operationalize the Strategy 2010 and the Inter-American Plan 2007-2011.

This report covers the period 01/January/09 to 30/June/09.

In brief

Programme purpose: Support the five National Societies in the Andean Region, ensuring closer work with the National Societies, to effectively implement the Inter-American Plan 2007-2011.

Programme summary: From the beginning of 2009, the Regional Representation for Andean countries, based in Lima, has continued to work with the Americas Zone Office to implement the New Operating Model (NOM), which optimizes actions through innovative ways of working by effectively providing essential services (core services) to …

This report covers the period 01/January/09 to 30/June/09.

In brief

Programmes summary:

The Regional Representation has established closer relationships with the National Societies allowing for improved support to identify needs. An important part of this process has been the development of country support plans which focus on the specific needs and priorities of National Societies.

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Caribbean Red Cross Program Transitions into Second Phase

A USAID/OFDA-supported Red Cross program to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Caribbean concluded its first phase in August and will begin phase two in October.

The program, "Readiness to Respond: Increased Disaster Preparedness through Enhanced Coordination and Community Awareness," is a joint effort between USAID/OFDA, the American Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Caribbean Red Cross societies.

USAID/OFDA provided more than …

SANTIAGO, Sept.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Latin American Countries Adopt the Incident Command System

USAID/OFDA is providing assistance to 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) that are implementing the Incident Command System (ICS).

The ICS is a predefined chain of command first employed in the U.S. state of California in the 1970s in response to extensive forest fires.

Berlin - In 2008, Johanniter mainly focused on providing medical care throughout 22 countries, and invested donations and subsidies in the amount of nine million Euros - half a million more than the previous year. Although, the share of donations has slightly decreased from 2007, subsidies from third-party donors, such as Germany's Foreign Office, have increased.

Rome July 17, 2009 - The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Directorate General for Cooperation and Development has contributed with a financial amount of 700.000 euros to OCHA to support the "Humanitarian Coordination Leadership" in Central American and Carribean under the " Strengthen Preparedness and Response in Central America and the Carribean ".

The donation will cover needs identified by OCHA in the area.

POC: Alessandro Pirrone - MoFA Rome - Emergency Office on +39 3691 8153

Climate change is damaging people's lives today. Even if world leaders agree the strictest possible curbs on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the prospects are very bleak for hundreds of millions of people, most of them among the world's poorest. This paper puts the dramatic stories of some of those people alongside the latest science on the impacts of climate change on humans. Together they explain why climate change is fundamentally a development crisis.

As Prime Minister Kevin Rudd heads off to major international meetings with climate change high on the agenda this week, a new report reveals that seasons which were once distinct are shifting, destroying harvests and causing widespread hunger.

This is just one of the multiple impacts of climate change taking their toll on the world's poorest people, according to the Oxfam report 'Suffering the Science - Climate Change, People and Poverty'.

The report's release comes ahead of the G8 …

HIGHLIGHTS:

BRAZIL: Manaus is suffering the worst flooding in 56 years, according to civil defense officials. At least 18,000 people have been affected.

GUATEMALA: More than 10,800 people have been affected by heavy rains in the Department of Escuintla and the Orange Alert remains in effect.

PERU: Government declared State of Emergency in 21 regions of the country due to low temperatures

The northern Brazil town of Codó was recently inundated with torrential rains and severe flooding. Catholic Relief Services is providing at least 4,000 families with essential hygiene supplies.The northern Brazil town of Codó was recently inundated with torrential rains and severe flooding.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - In northeastern Brazil, where severe rainfall has caused massive flooding, food is one of the greatest needs, as the numbers of affected people increase daily, said the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

"Brazil has not seen a flood like this in nearly 60 years," said Landerson Santana, director of the ADRA Northeast Brazil office.

Destina 105.000 euros al plan de respuesta a la emergencia puesto en marcha por Cáritas Brasileña

Cáritas.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- PERU: More than 530 people affected by a cold wave. Apurimac, Arequipa and Ayacucho are the most affected departments.

- HONDURAS: IFRC allocated a DREF (Disaster Relief Emergency Fund) of USD 28,132 to support the Honduran Red Cross (HRC) in its initial assessments and provision of basic relief assistance to families affected by last week's Earthquake.

- INFLUENZA A(H1N1): As of 8 June 2009, 73 countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of influenza A(H1N1), with 139 deaths.

SILVER SPRING, Md. -Hundreds of thousands of survivors are struggling to recover after heavy rain triggered severe flooding and mudslides in northeastern Brazil, leaving many without shelter, clean water, food, or other basic necessities, reports the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

According to Brazil's National Secretariat of Civil Defense, the intense flooding has affected more than 400,000 people in 12 states.

Sao Paolo_(dpa) _ At least seven people died last week when a dam broke in north-eastern Brazil after heavy rains, civil defence officials said Saturday.

Two people remain missing.

A concrete dam burst late Wednesday along a 50-metre crack, succumbing to increased water pressure after the Pirangi River feeding the dam's reservoir rose from weeks of heavy rain, said officials in the state of Piaui.

About 3,000 people were forced to leave their homes in Piaui due to the floods.

HONDURAS - SISMO Mayo 28, 2009

Un sismo (de magnitud 7.1) cuyo epicentro tuvo lugar fuera de la costa norteña de Honduras, ocasionó daños en casas e infraestructura y cobró la vida de 5 personas.

El Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas sufrió daños menores.

El gobierno hondureño actualmente evalúa los daños a la infraestructura primordialmente las del sector salud.