The 168 countries that adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 recognized the importance of “making hospitals safe from disasters by ensuring that all new hospitals are built with a level of resilience that strengthens their capacity to remain functional in disaster situations and implement mitigation measures to reinforce existing health facilities, particularly those providing primary health care”

The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) included the following measure of commitment to and success of disaster risk reduction:

• Integrate disaster risk reduction planning into the health sector;

•- promote the goal of “hospitals safe from disasters” by ensuring that all new hospitals are built with a level of resilience that strengthens their capacity to remain functional in disaster situations

•- implement mitigation measures to reinforce existing health facilities, particularly those providing primary health care.

Following the campaign, it is expected that a large number of governments will have developed strategic action plans to ensure that hospitals and health facilities will be made safe from disasters and that disaster risk reduction will be an integral component of health policies

This joint global campaign was started on January 25, 2008 in Davos, Switzerland. This global campaign is organized by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) and WHO, with support from the World Bank. It is a part of the two years Global Disaster Reduction Campaign launched by UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (from January, 2008 to December, 2009) and it’s a one of the main tool for facilitating of achievement of the of Hyogo Framework for Action, by 2015.

Disaster risk reduction is everybody’s business. Only by investing in tangible risk reduction measures can we reduce vulnerability and protect development. This year campaign is focused on the natural disasters and safety of hospitals. Other important issues like hospital infection, patient safety, medical errors or capacity to cope with epidemics are not subject of this campaign although it doesn’t mean that they are less important for the people’s health.