Baghdad/Amman, 7 April 2009- on World Health Day 2009, WHO calls on governments to better equip and prepare their health systems for emergencies.
"Saving lives can only be achieved through emergency preparedness and training of health staff" said Dr. Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. "Don't let health facilities be another victim of emergencies..... Life is precious, invest in health" Gezairy added
Health facilities often become a safe haven for people during emergencies and armed conflict. They provide services to save lives and reduce the suffering of the sick and injured. Health teams and facilities must remain safe to be able to provide services to the most needy.
In Iraq, many health facilities, staff and patients are themselves vulnerable during and after emergencies.
"Iraqi health workers have been unsung heroes during years of violence. Many health workers have lost their lives while doing their jobs or been forced to flee abroad. " Said David Shearer the UN Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian/ Resident Coordinator for Iraq. " We need to make a concrete effort to ensure that, as security in Iraq improves, health facilities and their staff are protected and properly equipped to save the many lives still depending on them" he added.
Years of violence, internal conflict and wars have forced many medical professionals out of Iraq.
"We do hope that the professional medical team will gradually return to Iraq". Said Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, Representative of WHO in Iraq. "In the interim and to mitigate the negative impact of this brain drain of health professionals.
WHO has had close cooperation and commitment with the Ministry of Health, sister UN agencies and development partners to provide trainings to health workers helping the victims of the crisis and make health facilities safer to save lives in emergenices" she added.
More than 820 health workers have been trained as agents of disaster risk reduction and to keep the health system operational during and after emergencies. MoH is also making efforts to encourage, attract and retain Iraqis health professionals currently living abroad to return to serve Iraqi communities.
"MoH has actively issued policies to encourage, attract and retain Iraqis health professionals currently living abroad to return to serve Iraqi communities" said Dr. Salih Al Hasnawi, Iraq Minister of Health.
The theme of this year's World Health Day is "Save Lives. Make Hospitals Safe in Emergencies" launching a global campaign to raise awareness on the urgency to invest in health infrastructure that is able to withstand natural hazards, conflicts or a deteriorating situation and that is able to serve and protect people in immediate need.
WHO over the past years with GOI have prioritized the strategy to make key health facilities disaster-resilient by including risk reduction measures, constructing and renovating around 170 health facilities applying to international safety standards.
For more information:
Ruba Hikmat, Media and Communications
Officer; WHO office in Jordan Tel: + 962 79 5096066; E-mail: hikmatr@irq.emro.who.int
All press releases, fact sheets and other WHO media material found at http://www.emro.who.int/iraq.htm
For more information about the World health Day http://www.emro.who.int/whd2009/