Sandra Castelblanco Betancourt

Sandra Castelblanco Betancourt is a highly accomplished Colombian Registered Nurse and a distinguished expert in Disaster Risk Management within the health sector in the Latin American region, boasting over 29 years of experience. A true pioneer in the field, she has dedicated more than two decades to leading and shaping disaster risk management initiatives in the Colombian health sector, becoming a widely recognised authority in hospital safety for disasters across the region.

Her expertise is underpinned by an MSc by Research in Disaster Management from the UK, completed through the prestigious Chevening Scholarship Programme. Sandra is a prominent international speaker and university lecturer. She advocates passionately for enhanced training for healthcare personnel and has taught architects and civil engineers on building resilient hospital infrastructure. Her comprehensive knowledge is further complemented by specialised training in trauma systems from Israel and earthquake preparedness from the United States.

Furthermore, she served as a Local Thesis Supervisor for the European Master of Disaster Medicine (EMDM). Her distinguished career has been supported by prestigious scholarships from the UK, Israeli, US, and Indian Governments, alongside a grant from the MAPFRE Foundation (Spain) for the Design and Validation of a Hospitals Safe from Disasters Management System.

She led the Formulation of the Bogotá’s Health Sector Earthquake Preparedness Plan. As a consultant for PAHO/WHO in Colombia, she contributed to the development of the current technical Guidelines in Hospital Risk Management for Bogotá and participated in numerous projects related to Disaster Hospital Safety and the provision of access to health services for violently displaced and confined populations. As a freelance Disaster Nurse and specialised consultant, Sandra advises major private hospitals in Colombia.

Sandra’s long-standing and significant contributions to the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) are extensive. She has served as Coordinator of international Communities of Practice, moderated the Spanish Session at the Beijing Congress in 2011, and co-chaired the Latin America and the Caribbean Chapter from 2017 to 2023, the year of her initial election to WADEM’s Board of Directors. Her exceptional dedication has since been underscored by her re-election to the Board, an achievement further complemented by the honor of receiving the WADEM President’s Award in Tokyo, Japan, in 2025 in recognition for her outstanding contributions to WADEM.