Join the webinar on August 4, 2026
8:00 AM EST (Washington D.C), 3:00 PM UTC, 5:30 PM IST
Interpretation available in Arabic, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and International Sign Language
This inter-regional dialogue marks a historic collaboration among the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO), and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to advance disaster risk management for health. Building on shared experiences of health emergencies, from hurricanes and earthquakes to conflict-related challenges and climate impacts, this executive session catalyzes systematic knowledge exchange and technical cooperation.
The inter-regional “Resilient Hospitals” guidance, developed collaboratively by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), offers an operational framework. This framework emphasizes integrating risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies into routine hospital functions, ensuring that health services not only remain functional during crises but also contribute to the broader goals of health systems resilience, global health security, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Objectives of the webinar
- Foster Interregional Collaboration: Promote collaborative partnerships between countries, regions, and organizations by establishing mechanisms for technical cooperation to strengthen hospital resilience to health emergencies and disasters.
- Present the interregional Resilient Hospital guidance to the international community, with a sense of a transformative contribution to countries' efforts in advancing the improvement of resilient health systems.
- Highlight the Critical Role of Financing Resilience: Emphasize the importance of investing in the resilience of health facilities amid global health emergencies and disasters.
- Exchange of Knowledge and Best Practices: Facilitate disseminating experiences, innovative practices, and challenges encountered in implementing resilient hospital frameworks among Member States and regional health stakeholders.
Agenda
8:00 AM - PART 1
Moderator: Alex Camacho
Regional Advisor on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction, Health Emergencies Department, PAHO/WHO HQ, Washington D.C.
Opening Remarks
Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr.
Regional Director PAHO/WHO
Hanan Balkhy
Regional Director WHO/ EMRO
Amit Prothi, Director General
Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure (CDRI). Delhi, India
Keynote: Overview of the significance of resilient health facilities in the current health emergency landscape
Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi
Minister of Health of Iraq
(EMRO) (TBC)
A tested example of Hospital Resiliency in the Americas
Presentation of an experience enhancing health facilities' resilience to emergencies and disasters
Minister of Health (TBC)
Presentation of the Inter-Regional Resilient Hospitals Guidance: An integrated overview by EMRO and PAHO
Adham Rashad Ismail
Director Programme Management & Acting Director of Health System Life Course (HSL)
WHO EMRO
Ciro Ugarte
Health Emergencies Director
PAHO/WHO
9:00 AM - PART II
Panel Dialogue: How to build effective, resilient health systems for emergencies and disasters
Moderator: Hamid Ravaghi
Regional Advisor on Hospital Management and Services, EMRO
Panelists
Sandra Díaz Gonzalez
Director - Sectoral Programmes and Technical Assistance
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Delhi, India
Aslam Perwaiz
Executive Director
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Bangkok, Thailand
Janett Alvarado
Director of the WHO Collaborative Center for Resilient Hospitals
Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), Mexico
Jameel Abualenain
WHO Collaborative Center Saudi Arabia
Q & A from Audience via Slido
Team PAHO and EMRO