Health ministers from all around the American continent today called for renewed efforts to make hospitals safer in case of disasters, so they can continue to provide health services in times of urgent need.

Health leaders gathered at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, DC, endorsed a new regional plan that includes planning, investment and monitoring systems to ensure that new hospitals and other health facilities are built to standards of resilience to disasters and to modernize older facilities so they can continue to operate during these emergencies.