United Nations Radio

The World Health Organization is gearing up to meet the challenges of the future. That means responding to more disasters than ever before according to Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General of Health Action in Crises at WHO. He says in 2008 alone, WHO and its partners launched 40 per cent more emergency operations than in the previous two years, reacting to health crises linked to armed conflict and natural disasters. Mr. Laroche says the most sustainable way to address the health aspects of emergencies was to invest in capacity-building for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Julie Walker has 2 reports long and short.