Latin America & Caribbean Chapter

Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC) is one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions in the world exposed to natural hazards such as hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, wildfires, mudslides, and floods. The frequency and intensity of many of these hazards are worsened by the impacts of climate change. The region also faces ongoing humanitarian crises from large migrations of people from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and several countries in Central America. High levels of economic inequality and poverty and underdeveloped health systems exacerbate these challenges.

The LATAC Chapter of WADEM was founded to promote collaboration and integration among regional scientists and health professionals around research and education in the fields of disaster and emergency medicine and thus contribute to the improvement of its standards of practice in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Watch the Recent LATAC Chapter Webinars

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Webinar Date: 2 February 2026

Inaudibles en la crisis: comprendiendo a las personas con discapacidad auditiva en desastres

En tiempos de emergencia y desastre, la mayor parte de la información crítica se transmite a través del sonido: anuncios verbales, transmisiones de radio, sirenas y sistemas de alarma. Para las personas con discapacidad auditiva, esta información crea barreras que ponen en peligro sus vidas y aumentan dramáticamente su vulnerabilidad durante situaciones de crisis.

Esta presentación, por la Dra. Carolina Tannenbaum-Baruchi, examina los desafíos únicos que enfrentan las personas con pérdida auditiva durante los desastres, incluyendo sistemas de advertencia inaccesibles, fallas en la comunicación durante la evacuación y el acceso limitado a los servicios de emergencia. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, más de 430 millones de personas en todo el mundo requieren actualmente rehabilitación para abordar su pérdida auditiva, incluidos 432 millones de adultos y 34 millones de niños. Para 2050, se proyecta que este número superará los 700 millones de personas, es decir, una de cada diez personas a nivel mundial.

Basándose en investigaciones y estudios de casos del mundo real, esta charla web explorará soluciones prácticas y estrategias basadas en evidencia para crear sistemas de preparación ante emergencias más inclusivos. Los asistentes aprenderán cómo desarrollar mecanismos de advertencia accesibles, mejorar los protocolos de comunicación de emergencia e implementar procedimientos de evacuación efectivos que garanticen la seguridad y dignidad de todos los miembros de la comunidad, independientemente de su capacidad auditiva.

Webinar Date: 13 November 2025

Crisis Communications

This presentation outlines key principles of crisis communication for medical professionals. It identifies the types of crises that can impact healthcare organizations—including reputational events (such as illegal behavior or patient harm), cybersecurity breaches (e.g., HIPAA violations), supply chain shortages, infrastructure failures, and staffing or weather-related disruptions. The presentation emphasizes preparedness through structured communication frameworks such as the CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Manual, which provides templates, wallet cards, and leadership guidance to ensure consistent, accurate, and timely messaging during crises.

Dr. Jay McIsaac emphasizes that effective crisis communication relies on clarity, transparency, and establishing trust with the audience. He encourages the medical community to anticipate stakeholder concerns and coordinate messages across internal teams, patients, and the public. Common pitfalls—such as misinformation, delayed responses, and inconsistent messaging—can worsen reputational and operational damage. By leveraging federal guidance tools, such as the CDC’s CERC templates, maintaining a unified command structure, and rehearsing crisis protocols, healthcare leaders can mitigate chaos and maintain credibility even in the face of significant operational or ethical challenges.

Presentation Slides

LATAC Chapter Leadership

Amado Alejandro Báez, MD, MPH, PhD

Co-Chair

Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology; Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University

Darren Dookeeram, MBBS, DM, MBA

Co-Chair

Specialist Emergency Physician, Sangre Grande Hospital

Lecturer; School of Pharmacy, University of the West Indies

Objectives

Increase membership and promotion of WADEM´s goals across Latin America and the Caribbean;
Promote a paradigm shift from “response” to integral emergency risk management;
Encourage a culture of disaster and emergency preparedness in the region;
Enhance regional development of knowledge, capacities and motivation for disaster risk reduction;
Adapt and implement international standards in the practice of disaster and emergency medicine in the region and contribute with findings and lessons learned in the process; and
Establish a community of practice for discussion, communication and exchange of information among regional members about disasters and related subjects.

Goals

Research on key topics that are of common concern for the region;
Highlight government decisions that are key for emergency risk management through the members at the local level and through partners at an international level;
Promote joint training activities and sharing of expertise and good practices; and
To increase the availability of worldwide disaster risk literature to local populations and promote its adaptation and application.