WHO-SEARO, 2008. The new issue of FOCUS shines the light on safe hospitals and health facilities and also includes articles on the Hyogo Framework for Action, the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction; the WHO-UNISDR World Disaster Risk Reduction Campaign and the benchmark for safe health facilities endorsed by WHO’s South-East Asia  member countries. 

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UNISDR, 2008. ISDR-Biblio 3 addresses the protection of health facilities in order to ensure they can function during and in the aftermath of disasters. It also contains additional literature on health and disaster risk; disaster and emergency management; health facilities and services; environment, impact on health; climate change effects on health; mental health; mitigation and preparedness; public health; water and sanitation; and gender and health.

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WHO-EMRO, 2008. The World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean presents the WHOe-Atlas of disaster risk for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Volume 1: Exposure to natural hazards. The e-Atlas uses geographic information systems and various disaster models to assist disaster management decision-makers, particularly those in the Member States of this Region regularly experiencing disasters, to reduce health risks to vulnerable populations due to emergencies and health crises. This tool can be used to help predict the magnitude of a disaster on a specific population, to assess where damage might be the greatest and to forecast specific resources which may be required.

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A Global Measure of Disaster Reduction
PAHO, 2005. This short advocacy publication makes the case for why global attention should focus on safeguarding hospitals and health facilities from disasters. From a health, social and economic point of view, safe hospitals are essential to meeting the Millenium Development Goals.

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Questions and Answers for Health Personnel
PAHO, 2007. This publication helps health personnel from medium- or low-complexity facilities to identify possible vulnerabilities in their building. An intervention strategy is then recommended, where actions are prioritized according to their importance, time and available resources.

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Spanish only

Mitigation series
PAHO, 2000. An update to earlier PAHO publications on disaster mitigation in health facilities, it has been revised to with a multidisciplinary focus. Figures and photographs illustrate situations that exacerbate disaster vulnerability and examples are given of how countries in Latin America have conducted vulnerability assessments and applied mitigation measures.

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PAHO, 2006. (Only in Spanish) This book analyzes the more common effects of floods in health services, and provides technical recommendations to include prevention and mitigation measures for floods in health facilities.

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Spanish only

It is necessary to reduce vulnerability in order to ensure that hospitals maintain their operation capacity during and after earthquakes. This publication has opinions from experts, shows examples and experiences in Latin America, and includes recommendations to put mitigation measures into practice.

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Spanish only