The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is celebrated every year on 14 October.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is celebrated every year on 14 October. This year the technical focus is on “Hospitals Safe from Disasters” to highlight the 2008-2009 World Disaster Reduction Campaign of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). The “Safe Hospitals” campaign is a joint initiative of UNISDR, the World Bank and WHO. The day marks the culmination of this two year campaign, advocating for health facilities to be constructed and managed in a way so that they remain functional and fully operational during and after disasters and crises, when they are needed most to save lives. The topic is closely related to the theme of the World Health Day 2009, “Save lives. Make hospitals safe in emergencies.”

WHO and UNISDR are planning a series of international events to celebrate this day and draw attention to the importance of reducing disaster risks for communities. Events have been planned in Asia, The Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Europe. In the European Region, a global and regional event will be hosted by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in London, at the The Royal Marsden Education and Conference Centre. A half-day seminar has been organized on Disaster Risk Reduction with the focus on safe health facilities. The event will involve speakers from the UN system, government authorities, the HPA, NGOs and academia, followed by a joint press conference.