In 2001, the General Assembly decided to maintain the observance of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction on the second Wednesday of October (resolution 56/195 of 21 December), as a vehicle to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

The 2008 World Disaster Reduction Campaign on "Hospitals Safe from Disasters" aims to raise awareness and effect change that will:

• Protect the lives of patients and health workers by ensuring the structural resilience of health facilities;
• Make sure health facilities and health services are able to function in the aftermath of emergencies and disasters, when they are most needed; and
• Improve the risk reduction capacity of health workers and institutions, including emergency management.