Several representatives of Doctors of the World (DOW) from the UK and France attended the United Nations Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) meeting in Geneva from 8-13th May 2011.

We reported back on the success of the project in Madagascar and presented a short video as well as outlining our plans to start a DRR project in Bangladesh. We also highlighted the opportunities presented by the DOW UK Research Hub to share knowledge in this area. DOW representatives participated in the Thematic Platform on Health and plan to be more involved with this initiative in the future. We also encourage further research to improve resilience and information sharing on this topic.

DRR is about working with local communities to repair damage caused by disasters and prepare for disasters by taking ownership for their own safety. In order for DRR to be effective, access to healthcare is critical. Health infrastructures in developing countries are often weak and under-developed which means they are unable to respond to disasters or repair the damage incurred.

The destruction of hospitals, the loss of medical equipment and the trauma caused by catastrophes can leave communities at the mercy of epidemics.
Good disaster risk reduction comes before and continues after a disaster, building resilience to future hazards. Short time-scale interventions, low-level technology and a strong participatory approach have proved to be successful in reducing the loss of lives.