World Health Day 2009 |
Save lives. Make hospitals safe in emergencies
Key messages
Many health facilities, health workers and patients are vulnerable during emergencies and in their aftermath. Many facilities also can't provide health care during crises.
The most expensive health facility is the one that fails and has to be repaired or rebuilt from scratch.
Including earthquake risk reduction measures in the design and construction of all new health facilities adds only 4% to the initial cost.
Safe health facilities are central to community emergency
response, preparedness and resilience.
Crises threaten health facilities and interrupt public
health services.
When a hospital is out of service, thousands of people are
left without health care. Do not let health facilities
become a casualty of disasters.
All types of emergencies threaten all health facilities.
Know your risk – act. Don’t wait to be a victim to learn
lessons that are already known.
Health workers are the first line of defense during crises.
Effective health care depends on health workers, so they
must be prepared and ready to act.
There are many facets to keeping health facilities safe in
emergencies.
Partnerships are needed among all actors to ensure
appropriate investment, sharing of information and best
practice, and relevant support for making health facilities
safe and able to function in emergency scenarios.
Keeping health facilities safe from disasters is one sure
way of reducing risks and saving lives.
Health facilities are much more than bricks and mortar. They
are home to critical health services.
Key messages
