Welcome to the National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities, developed by the Drexel University School of Public Health’s Center for Health Equality, with support from the HHS Office of Minority Health.

Chile Update: Aftershocks continued to rumble through central Chile on March 5, nearly a week after a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook the central coast of Chile in the early morning hours of February 27, 2010.  Chilean officials report that the confirmed death toll exceeds 500 and that millions more have been displaced.   A tsunami caused by the initial earthquake and over 100 aftershock tremors have complicated emergency response efforts as well as attempts to fully assess recovery needs.  Chilean officials have announced that they will accept aid in the form of temporary field hospitals, bridges, water purification systems and other resources to rebuild critical infrastructure that has been disrupted by the quake.  Doctors Without Borders , UNICEF, and Project HOPE have begun to coordinate response efforts and collect relief funds.   Below is a concise list of resources to obtain up-to-date information on the Chile earthquake and inform international disaster relief efforts.

Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Information:

• CIA World Factbook: Chile
• U.S. Department of State: Chile

Translated Materials and Guidance:

• University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health: Public Health Ethics in Disasters
• Refugee Health Information Network: Translated Spanish Health Information
• Hesperian Foundation: Where There is No Doctor (Spanish), Sanitation and Cleanliness booklet (Spanish), Where Women Have No Doctor (Spanish)
• American Psychological Association: Managing Your Distress About the Earthquake from Afar

Toolkits, Online Training, and Guides:

• Johns Hopkins Center for Refugee and Disaster Response: Training in Qualitative Research Methods for PVOs and NGOs
• World Health Organization: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies
• SAMHSA: The Role of Culture in Helping Children Recover from a Disaster
• University of South Florida: Assuring Cultural Competence in Disaster Response

Peer-Reviewed Articles:

• Ethnocultural Considerations in Disasters: An Overview of Research, Issues, and Directions
• Communicating Across Cultures: Improving Translation to Improve Complex Emergency Program Effectiveness 

Haiti Update:  The 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck just outside Port au Prince, Haiti  on  January 12, 2010 has caused death and destruction of catastrophic proportions.  The humanitarian crisis has set international aid organizations into action and mobilized the first wave of international relief workers.  While the critical need for immediate disaster relief is without question, the complex nature of the emergency is likely to raise formidable cross-cultural challenges for international relief workers who are not familiar with the local language, customs, social structures, and communication systems.  Below is a list a resources to assist disaster relief workers and international aid organizations in meeting these challenges—such as effectively working with lay translators and providing culturally competent mental health services.
These resources can be used in combination with, or independent of, the international relief resources listed above.

Want to help?  Below is a concise list of prominent disaster relief organizations:

• Partner’s in Health
• Doctors without Boarders
• American Red Cross
• UNICEF
• Project HOPE

Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Information

• CIA World Factbook: Haiti
• U.S. Department of State: Haiti

Translated Materials and Guidance:

• CDC: Haiti Pre-decision Briefs for Public Health Action
• WHO: Haiti Information and Updates
• CDC: Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response (Updated 3/1/10)
• CDC: Health Information for Travelers to Haiti
• Medline Plus: Translated Haitian Creole Health Information
• Refugee Health Information Network: Translated Haitian Creole Health Information
• Hesperian Foundation: Where There is No Doctor (Haitian Creole), Sanitation and Cleanliness booklet (Haitian Creole), Where Women Have No Doctor (Haitian Creole)

Toolkits, Online Training, and Guides:

• K4Health: Haiti Relief Toolkit
• Gender and Disaster Network: Resources to inform gender-responsive approaches to disaster relief  

H1N1 Update: With supplies of the H1N1 vaccine increasing across the country, health officials, such as Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, are encouraging individuals to get vaccinated—especially priority groups such as pregnant women and people under the age of 24. Flu.gov has created an interactive Flu Shot Locator with the latest information on where the vaccine is available.  To address public concerns regarding the safety of the H1N1 vaccine, the CDC has developed Vaccination Fact Sheets in a wide variety of languages. An H1N1 Self-Evaluation tool has also been developed which is a available in both English and Spanish. For more information on H1N1 CLICK HERE.

Topic of the Month: Online Disaster Education and Cultural Competence

Efforts to integrate the principles of cultural competence into emergency preparedness and response plans have gained momentum in recent years.  While training and education are key to improving cultural competence, the economic recession has prompted cuts to the budgets of public health and emergency management agencies across the country—limiting opportunities for on-sight training and education.  CLICK HERE for a list of free online courses and training modules on cultural competence and related topics, many of which offer continuing education credits.