Mortality rate due to disasters per 100 000 population

EOB 2024-2025

IMPACT INDICATOR

28. Mortality rate due to disasters per 100,000 population

SHAA2030 Target 8.1

Reduce the number of cases of death, disability, and illness, with emphasis on protection of the poor and vulnerable populations affected by emergencies and disasters

Baseline

2019

0.33

Target

2025

At least a 10% reduction from the baseline

Status

No regional estimate

Rating

Not enough data

% annual change recorded as of last year available

23.88%

Number of deaths reported for Grade 2 and 3 emergencies, 2019-2025

Year	Grade	Emergencies
2019	2	Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas: 356 deaths. Source: EM-DAT. Available at: https://www.emdat.be/. Social unrest in Haiti: Data not available Measles in Venezuela: 0 deaths reported. Source: Measles Rubella Weekly Bulletin (52) - 28 December 2019. Available at: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/measles-rubella-weekly-bulletin-52-28-december-2019 Diphtheria in Venezuela: 20 deaths. Mass migration Venezuela and neighboring countries: 89 deaths. Source: IOM. Available at: MMP annual regional overview 2021 LAC.pdf (iom.int) (available in Spanish) Dengue in Honduras: 31 deaths. Source: PAHO, PLISA. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/data/index.php/en/mnu-topics/indicadores-dengue-en/dengue-subnacional-en/543-hnd-dengue-casos-en.html. Floods in Paraguay: 40 deaths. Source: EM-DAT
2020	2	Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia: 329 deaths. Source: EM-DAT
2020	3	COVID-19 pandemic: 953 077 deaths. Source: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas
2021	3	COVID-19 pandemic: 1 464 026 deaths. Source: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas
2022	2	Cholera outbreak in Haiti: As of 31 December 2022 (377 deaths). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/ Circulation of VDPV2 Polio: 0 deaths. Source: NA
2022	3	Cholera outbreak in Haiti: As of 31 December 2022 (377 deaths). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/ Circulation of VDPV2 Polio: 0 deaths. Source: NA
2023	2	Venezuela and neighboring countries
2023	3	COVID-19 pandemic: (6.82 million reported cases/ 103 294 deaths). Source: Summary Situation COVID-19. Available at: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas. Cholera in Haiti: 1161 deaths (Last updated 2 January 2024). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/ Security crisis in Haiti: 4,789 deaths. Source: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, as reported by Reuters. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitis-gang-wars-death-toll-doubles-nearly-5000-year-un-2024-01-23.
2024	2	El Niño phenomenon (multi-country) Wildfires in Chile Floods in Brazil Hurricane Beryl: 15 deaths (4 deaths in Jamaica and 11 deaths in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Source: PAHO situation report, 11 July 2024. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/situation-report-8-hurricane-beryl-jamaica-11-july-2024. Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael and earthquakes (Cuba): 8 deaths. Source: PAHO public health situation analysis, 14 November 2024. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/public-health-situation-analysis-hurricanes-oscar-rafael-and-earthquakes-cuba-14-november. Humanitarian situation in Venezuela
2024	3	Dengue multi-country: 8,431 deaths in the Americas. Source: PAHO epidemiological alert, 7 February 2025, and PAHO dengue data portal. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/epidemiological-alert-risk-dengue-outbreaks-due-increased-circulation-denv-3-americas and https://www.paho.org/en/arbo-portal/dengue-data-and-analysis. Mpox outbreak: 8 deaths. Source: PAHO Data and mpox data dashboard. Available from: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/mpox/. Armed violence in Haiti: 5,626 deaths and 2,213 injured. Source: United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. (BINUH). Cholera in Haiti: 1323 deaths. Source: PAHO data. Note: The violent event in Artibonite (October) and a hospital attack (December) were ungraded but associated to the ongoing security crisis in Haiti. Oropouche virus (multi-country): 4 deaths. PAHO arbovirus portal – Oropouche. Available from: https://www.paho.org/es/arbo-portal/arbo-portal-oropouche.
2025	2	Hurricane Melissa (Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica): 88 deaths. Source: PAHO Regional Situation Report 6, 16 December 2025. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/paho-regional-situation-report-6-hurricane-melissa-18-dec-2025.
2025	3	Oropouche virus (multi-country): 6 deaths. Source: PAHO arbovirus portal - Oropouche. Available from: https://www.paho.org/es/arbo-portal/arbo-portal-oropouche. Haiti security situation and cholera: 8,847 deaths (8,776 due to armed violence, 71 to cholera). Source: PAHO country office and government.

This indicator aimed to assess the effectiveness of national disaster and health emergency preparedness, risk management, and response policies and programs in protecting population health. It sought to measure deaths attributable to direct exposure to emergencies and disasters. In this context, a disaster is defined as a Grade 2 or Grade 3 emergency as defined in the global Emergency Response Framework. The 2025 target was to achieve at least a 10% reduction from the baseline.

This indicator could not be rated because there were not enough data to support an assessment. Due to the complexity associated with the data sources involved, including issues related to accuracy and consistency, as well as the challenges associated with measuring direct as compared to indirect disaster-attributable deaths, neither a baseline nor a target could ultimately be established. These challenges are recognized at the national, regional, and global levels. Given these measurement limitations and the discontinuation of the indicator at the global level, it was not included in the PAHO Strategic Plan 2026–2031.

Recommendation

Continue to measure and report on the toll of health emergencies through outcome and output indicators in the PAHO Strategic Plan 2026–2031 monitoring and evaluation framework.

SHAA2030 Target 8.1

Number of deaths reported for Grade 2 and 3 emergencies, 2019-2025

Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas: 356 deaths. Source: EM-DAT. Available at: https://www.emdat.be/.

Social unrest in Haiti: Data not available

Measles in Venezuela: 0 deaths reported. Source: Measles Rubella Weekly Bulletin (52) - 28 December 2019. Available at: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/measles-rubella-weekly-bulletin-52-28-december-2019

Diphtheria in Venezuela: 20 deaths.

Mass migration Venezuela and neighboring countries: 89 deaths. Source: IOM. Available at: MMP annual regional overview 2021 LAC.pdf (iom.int) (available in Spanish)

Dengue in Honduras: 31 deaths. Source: PAHO, PLISA. Available at: https://www3.paho.org/data/index.php/en/mnu-topics/indicadores-dengue-en/dengue-subnacional-en/543-hnd-dengue-casos-en.html.

Floods in Paraguay: 40 deaths. Source: EM-DAT

Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia: 329 deaths. Source: EM-DAT

COVID-19 pandemic: 953 077 deaths. Source: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas

COVID-19 pandemic: 1 464 026 deaths. Source: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas

Cholera outbreak in Haiti: As of 31 December 2022 (377 deaths). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/

Circulation of VDPV2 Polio: 0 deaths. Source: NA

Cholera outbreak in Haiti: As of 31 December 2022 (377 deaths). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/

Circulation of VDPV2 Polio: 0 deaths. Source: NA

Venezuela and neighboring countries

COVID-19 pandemic: (6.82 million reported cases/ 103 294 deaths). Source: Summary Situation COVID-19. Available at: https://www.paho.org/en/covid-19-weekly-updates-region-americas.

Cholera in Haiti: 1161 deaths (Last updated 2 January 2024). Source: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/cholera/

Security crisis in Haiti: 4,789 deaths. Source: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, as reported by Reuters. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitis-gang-wars-death-toll-doubles-nearly-5000-year-un-2024-01-23.

El Niño phenomenon (multi-country)

Wildfires in Chile

Floods in Brazil

Hurricane Beryl: 15 deaths (4 deaths in Jamaica and 11 deaths in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Source: PAHO situation report, 11 July 2024. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/situation-report-8-hurricane-beryl-jamaica-11-july-2024.

Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael and earthquakes (Cuba): 8 deaths. Source: PAHO public health situation analysis, 14 November 2024. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/public-health-situation-analysis-hurricanes-oscar-rafael-and-earthquakes-cuba-14-november.

Humanitarian situation in Venezuela

Mpox outbreak: 8 deaths. Source: PAHO Data and mpox data dashboard. Available from: https://shiny.paho-phe.org/mpox/.

Armed violence in Haiti: 5,626 deaths and 2,213 injured. Source: United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. (BINUH).

Cholera in Haiti: 1323 deaths. Source: PAHO data.Note: The violent event in Artibonite (October) and a hospital attack (December) were ungraded but associated to the ongoing security crisis in Haiti.

Oropouche virus (multi-country): 4 deaths. PAHO arbovirus portal – Oropouche. Available from: https://www.paho.org/es/arbo-portal/arbo-portal-oropouche.

Hurricane Melissa (Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica): 88 deaths. Source: PAHO Regional Situation Report 6, 16 December 2025. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/documents/paho-regional-situation-report-6-hurricane-melissa-18-dec-2025.

Oropouche virus (multi-country): 6 deaths. Source: PAHO arbovirus portal - Oropouche. Available from: https://www.paho.org/es/arbo-portal/arbo-portal-oropouche.

Haiti security situation and cholera: 8,847 deaths (8,776 due to armed violence, 71 to cholera). Source: PAHO country office and government.

Cholera in Haiti: 1323 deaths. Source: PAHO data.
Note: The violent event in Artibonite (October) and a hospital attack (December) were ungraded but associated to the ongoing security crisis in Haiti.