Central America. Hurricane Mitch Global Plans 1998 and 1999.Health Sector-2.000

This evaluation was completed in response to a request by the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), to assess to what degree humanitarian health-related operations approved after the hurricane Mitch, brought about significant relief to the target population and also contributed, among other things, to strengthen coping capacities to that same population. This report provides the findings on the emergency aid ECHO committed to the four Central American countries (Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala).
Project sites of 19 operations, out of a total 22 health-related interventions, were visited in order to assess the impact reached. The health-related evaluation analysed operations focusing mainly on epidemiological surveillance systems’ development or reinforcing, vectoral control programmes’ support, basic health care services’ strengthening, etc. A two-pronged approach was used in order to assess ECHO’s performance. One looked at the decision-making process, supervisory visits, follow-up, and control and evaluation sessions carried out by both ECHO HQ’s and experts in the field. The other converged on the performance of the ECHO partner INGO’s.