Distinguished EXPERTs, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Globally, Asia remains the continent most affected by natural hazards. Last year, a total number of 160 such incidents were reported.
Nine of the ten countries with the highest number of deaths due to disasters were in Asia. Four out of these belong to the Western Pacific Region.
When disaster strikes, health facilities are not immune. In September and October of this year, the typhoons that hit the Philippines, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam damaged health facilities and destroyed medical equipment. This severely stretched the capacity of already overburdened health systems.
Here in the Philippines, more than 30 public hospitals and 100 health centres were severely flooded and damaged. Estimated damage to health facilities reached US$ 30.6m.
When these typhoons hit Viet Nam, almost two hundred health facilities were damaged or destroyed. In a matter of days, millions of dollars worth of investments in expensive hospital equipment and medical supplies were lost.
I visited Philippine communities affected by the floods. We saw people temporarily living in cramped school facilities that served as their shelters. We saw houses still flooded to waist height.
In these scenarios, the risk of illnesses and injuries is high. A well-functioning health system that is easily accessible to the people is all the more important.
In 2005, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. This emphasized the integration of "disaster risk reduction planning into the health sector" and promoted the goal of “hospitals safe from disaster”.
Following this, the World Health Organization, in partnership with the UN Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Bank, organized the World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2008-2009. This is focused on the theme "Hospitals Safe from Disasters".
In the past year, with Member States' support, WHO has intensified its efforts on advocacy, development of technical resources, assessment of health facilities, and capacity enhancement.
It is to countries' credit that they have strengthened their efforts in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness and response in the health sector.
Training of health professionals have been conducted; early warning systems, rapid assessment methods, disease surveillance systems, and health service delivery response mechanisms have been put in place.
There is still a long way to go in the areas of policy development, capacity building, advocacy, and community participation. However, these efforts are bringing results.
When natural hazards come, health facilities and health workers are always behind the scenes and the unheard voices in the field.
The focus of the health sector is to save lives, and it must be strong, well prepared and resilient to accomplish this.
I look forward to reviewing the outcomes of your discussions here, and wish you a pleasant stay in Manila.
Thank you very much.