WHO Global Health Emergency Appeal 2022 regional summary: Americas region

Overview

The WHO Region of the Americas experiences a wide variety of emergencies and disasters of increasing severity and frequency every year, which have a negative impact on the health of its population. After Asia, the Americas is the second region in the world most impacted by disasters and emergencies, accounting for almost one-quarter of disasters recorded worldwide over the past decade. Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories are extremely prone to natural disasters, primarily hydrological and meteorological events, but also face seismic activity, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and other adverse events such as fires and social disturbances, which can have major detrimental effects on populations and infrastructure, including health services. These vulnerabilities are now exacerbated by the impact of climate change, which has resulted in a general escalation in the intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes, as well as varying rainfall patterns.