Thursday, May 2, 2024
5/2/2024
The Caribbean All-Hazards Program to Build Resilience Against Climate Effects (CAPBRACE) will be led by Dr. José F. Cordero from the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust (Puerto Rico's Public Health Institute) and the University of Georgia and by Dr. Pablo Méndez-Lazaro from the Puerto Rico Climate and Health Research Group (PRCLIMAH) at the University of Puerto Rico and scientific member of the Committee of Experts and Advisors on Climate Change of Puerto Rico (CEACC). These Co-PI’s and their team of public health practitioners are committed to achieving the widespread adoption, replication, and expansion of health-protective adaptation actions to build resilience against effects of climate change. The widespread adoption of these evidence-based adaptation measures will reduce adverse health outcomes in communities most impacted by inequities and the damaging effects of climate change. The proposed CORE work will focus on enhancing program management and leadership by building of internal capacity and improving and expanding partnerships through the development and convening of the stakeholders in the region. Our team will use evidence-based approaches, best practices, and the Climate Impact Compendium to develop adaptation strategies that focus on climate threats specific to Puerto Rico. Priority areas for Puerto Rico are health effects from extreme weather events, including hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Comprehensive adaptation strategies that address the facilitation of community access to resources will focus on contingency planning for the chronically ill and the elderly to provide improved access to resources for emergency planning and preparedness to improve health care. Examples of this are plans to insure access to medications, voluntary registries to connect specific needs of chronically ill and elderly with resources at the local level, sources of electrical redundancy for cold storage and device-dependent individuals at communit y clinics. Community leaders will co-design specific approaches and this will be implemented in model communities in Puerto Rico's seven public health regions. A second comprehensive adaptation strategy will focus on education, communications, and policy through the co-development and co-design of an overarching curriculum on Protecting Human Health by Building Resilience Against Climate Effects for middle school, high school, undergraduate educational institutions, and adult learners in partnership with the Department of Education. This curriculum will be comprised of six courses delivered in an online learning platform. We propose to add Option A and Option C to proposed CORE Activities. Option A: Expanded Implementation and Evaluation of the Adaptation Strategies will be achieved by adapting Climate and Human Health Curriculum to communities throughout Puerto Rico by adapting it into a blended learning experience offering in-person community visits, live ECHO Sessions to promote peer to peer learning in remote settings, and specific modules designed for community members in the online learning environment. The emergency planning tool kit, community mapping of vulnerabilities, and contingency planning will also be expanded to additional communities. Option C: An intelligent Data Tool for Understanding Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and their Impacts on Public Health. Community members will participate in all processes of this proposed work through their participation in the Community Leader Advisory Board and as members of this project's Evaluation Team.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
