On World Health Day 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all countries and governments to work and act now to prepare their health facilities to be able to withstand and respond to emergencies. “Save lives. Make hospitals safe in emergencies” is the slogan of this year’s World Health Day campaign, which is launched worldwide on 7 April. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of investing in health infrastructure that is able to withstand natural hazards, conflicts or a deteriorating situation and that is able to serve and protect people in immediate need.
“Saving lives can only be achieved if proper investments are made in emergency preparedness and training of the health workforce,” said Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, who added “Don’t let health facilities be another victim of emergencies. Life is precious, invest in health.”
During emergencies, health facilities often become a safe haven for people. They provide services to save lives and reduce the suffering of affected populations. It is important that health facilities and health professionals remain safe and able to provide care. However, this is not often the case in many countries. Many health facilities, staff and patients are themselves vulnerable to emergencies when they strike and in their aftermath. In countries such as Iraq or Somalia, thousands have died and many others have had to be transported thousands of kilometres away to obtain the minimum medical treatment they need because the health facilities were not equipped to cope with emergency needs.
WHO has prioritized its strategy to make key health facilities disaster-resilient by including risk reduction measures in the design and construction of all new health facilities and by reducing vulnerability in existing health facilities using international safety standards.
Health workers are the first line of defence during crises, and for that reason they must be prepared and ready to act rather than becoming victims themselves. Despite the provisions of international humanitarian law that aim to protect health workers in emergencies, many health professionals are victims of natural and man-made disasters. WHO and UN agencies have supported the provision of training for health workers in some countries of the Region to deal with victims in crises. Health workers must be trained to be agents of disaster risk reduction and to keep the health system operational during emergencies and in their aftermath.
Disaster is a health issue. The World Health Organization is committed to working with governments, United Nations entities and other partners to make health facilities safer, prepared to deliver health care and able to save lives in emergencies.