Protecting Public Health from Disaster Risks

Description

The protection of public health from disasters requires joint action from all sectors at all levels of society. Disasters have immediate and long-term effects on health in terms of significant loss of life, injuries, disease, disability, damage to health facilities and disruption of health services. These impacts have profound implications for the recovery and long-term development of communities. The health sector’s active involvement in disaster risk reduction, working together with other sectors, can reduce the loss and damages suffered when hazards strike. Maintaining good health status, local action, safe hospitals, resilient health systems and partnerships are essential for safer, healthier communities. Attention to health in multisectoral national disaster risk reduction programmes and the contribution of the health sector will be examined through a discussion of effective health risk reduction practices, including safer hospital programmes and community action. The overall objective of the session will be to identify actions and initiatives for a global action plan aimed at reducing risks to health and ensuring that health services continue to operate fully in disaster situations with the support of all sectors.

Chair/Moderator/Faciliator

Ms. Virginia Murray, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom (CHAIR)

Speakers

Dr. Stefan Seebacher, Head of Health Department, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Mr. Mudjiharto, Head of Crisis Center, Ministry of Health, Indonesia
Dr. Jean-Luc Poncelet, Area Manager, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief, Pan American Health Organization
Dr. Alistair Humphrey, Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health, New Zealand
Mr. Jonathan Abrahams, Coordinator, Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness, World Health Organization, Geneva

Presentations

> Global action plan on disaster risk management for health [1.72 Mb]

> Protecting public health from disaster risks [6.34 Mb]

Report

> Report on the Protecting Public Health from Disaster Risks Featured Event [PDF, 173.90 Kb]