World Health Organization (WHO)

Health and hospital safety

The health and lives of millions of people are regularly threatened by hazards. Disasters are considered, first and foremost, in terms of their health consequences, for example:

• More than 110,000 deaths were recorded annually on average due to natural and technological hazards from 2004-2013, while 1.7 billion people were affected by large-scale disasters in the same period.
• For every large-scale disaster, there are hundreds of smaller scale events that cause deaths, injuries, disabilities and psychosocial effects.
• A severe influenza pandemic could cost the global economy more than $US3 trillion, through its effects on health, productivity, trade, and travel.
• Expenditure on hospitals may represent up to 70% of national health budget. A review of 94 assessments in Latin America and the Caribbean (1972-2011) estimated the damage from disasters to health infrastructure at $7.82billion.

Contacts

Experts available in Sendai (languages indicated, field of expertise)

• Dr Margaret Chan, Director General, World Health Organization (English, Cantonese) – public health
• Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director General, Polio and Emergencies, World Health Organization (English) – public health, disaster risk management, epidemic preparedness and response
• Dr Ciro Ugarte, Director, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, PAHO (Spanish, English) – public health, safe hospitals, disaster risk management
• Dr Qudsia Huda, Regional Advisor, Eastern Mediterreanean Regional Office (English, Bangla) – public health, disaster risk management, safe hospitals
• Mr Jonathan Abrahams, Disaster Risk Management Focal Point, WHO (English) – public health, disaster risk management, safe hospitals

Communication focal points to arrange interviews with experts and guide reporters in Sendai

WHO Geneva: Paul Garwood, garwoodp@who.int

About WHO

WHO has supported HFA implementation by helping assess and develop national capacities in all-hazard emergency and disaster risk management for health, and strengthening the resilience and continuity of health services before, during and after emergencies. WHO is active in global surveillance and monitoring potential threats to health, particularly from biological, natural and technological (e.g. chemical and radiological hazards) sources to enable early detection and warning to prompt action by the public, health workers and other sectors.

WHO supports governments and learning institutions to develop programmes that strengthen the skills of professionals in health and other sectors to manage health risks of disasters. WHO helps national Safe Hospital activities make hospitals safer, prepared and operational for emergencies, and apply the Hospital Safety Index tool.

The WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe, strengthens national capacities on urbanization, ageing, innovation and disaster risk management as drivers of health outcomes.

WHO supports response and recovery planning, training, surveillance systems, pre-positioning of health supplies, surge capacity development, and exercises for health care professionals and other emergency service personnel, including by implementing the International Health Regulations (2005).