45th Directing Council, 56th Session of the regional committee: report on reducing the impact of disasters on health facilities
This document invites Member States to assign priority to keeping hospitals functioning in the aftermath of major catastrophes. It also makes the case for ensuring that reducing the functional vulnerability of hospitals be designated a benchmark or indicator of success in global reduction programs and that this be reflected in the outcome of the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction in early 2005. Given the limited resources available, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in particular the health sector, have been working proactively to develop efficient and effective strategies to face the loss of health assets in the wake of disasters. A number of strategies have been explored over the course of the last two decades and there has been a good deal of success, primarily on a pilot basis. Concretely, with current knowledge, existing resources, and a strong political commitment, it is possible to achieve visible results.
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