All disasters are a health and social issue. Damage to health facilities affects every part of society.

health facilities are critical to the sustainability of our communities, especially during emergencies.

Health services are most needed after a disaster. If health facilities are destroyed, it is a double blow for an already devastated community.

Hospitals and health facilities are about much more than bricks and mortarthey provide a range of vital services.

The difference in expense between building a safe or unsafe hospital is negligible. But that investment can make the difference between life and death.

The technology for safe health facilities is available. Incorporating disaster-protection elements into the design will add only 4% to the cost of the building. Retrofitting costs can sometimes be as low as 1% for some modifications.

Damaged health facilities hamper a country's development, impacting its ability to combat maternal and child deaths, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases and meet its Millennium Development Goals.

It should be ensured that emergency and contingency plans for health facilities are in place so that health services can function even after a disaster.

With strong political commitment and concerted efforts, countries can reduce the risk to health facilities posed by disasters.

The health workforce has a crucial role as agents of disaster risk reduction. They must be trained to deal with emergency health needs and to promote personal and community risk reduction measures.

Creating safe health facilities needs vision and commitment from many sectors and professions: planning, finance, public works, urban and land-use planning, architects, in addition to the health sector.

Building codes and standards to protect health facilities should be drafted and their adherence ensured.