El Salvador - GFDRR

II. POPULATION AND AFFECTED AREAS | 69
to control dengue and malaria, 35 and an equal number of home visits to control dengue larvae. The investment
in these efforts by the public sector totaled US$383,000.
iii) Coordination and management of supplies. In the face of the emergency situation, the Sectoral
Technical Commission on Health (part of the National Civil Protection System) was activated to
strengthen and focus the intersectoral coordination work initiated by the Ministry of Health. The
following participate in this commission: eight government institutions, four international NGOs
and PAHO as an observer. In turn, MSPAS coordinated health activities and remained in close
communication with the health services in the affected zones.
The Health Surveillance Committee was activated and CONAPREVIAR 36 worked on dengue and pandemic
influenza surveillance. Another important aspect was the formation of six multidisciplinary teams
to review, select and handle medicines and medical inputs donated by international aid agencies. These
teams were moved to the facilities of the International Center for Fairs and Conventions (Centro Internacional
de Ferias y Convenciones -CIFCO) and to Comalapa International Airport. It is worthwhile to note
the use of the SUMA/LSS computer tool, which is contributing to the organization and proper distribution
of donations. The public sector invested US$52,000 in the coordination and management of supplies.
b.3) National and International Humanitarian Assistance in the Health Sector
In response to the emergency, foreign governments, United Nations agencies, and national and international
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) mobilized medical brigades, delivered goods such as medicines
and medical inputs to treat patients, and provided technical assistance to MSPAS.
In turn, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) mobilized international experts and its
immediate response teams to support the efforts of the national health authority. It enabled the allocation
of resources from its budget funds and those granted by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation
for Development (AECID) to support the analysis and evaluation of epidemiological surveillance data,
the close and timely monitoring of dengue and pandemic influenza data, the purchase of medicines, and
mental health. Other United Nations agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have
planned reproductive and maternal health projects, taking into account the fact that in the departments
affected, there are 17,500 women of reproductive age, and the babies of 1,050 pregnant women are
expected to be born in the next three months.
35
Ibid 5.
36
The National Commission for Prevention of an Avian Flu Pandemic (Comisión Nacional de Prevention Contra una Pandemia
de Influenza Aviar), an institutional and intersectoral coordination agency that stipulates the necessary measures and
actions with respect to national and international responses to an Avian Flu health emergency.