Floods in the United Kingdom (Photo: UK Government)

Geneva, 17 November 2017 - Public Health England (PHE) has demonstrated its commitment to reducing the numbers of people affected by disasters by publishing a national review of its progress on implementation of the key international agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. 

Reducing the numbers of people affected by disasters was the theme for this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 13, the second year of the Sendai Seven Campaign which promotes the seven targets of the Sendai Framework that are designed to lead to a substantial reduction in disaster losses by 2030. 

PHE is the first government department in the UK to publish such a review and it reflects the major emphasis placed on health-related issues in the Sendai Framework which was adopted two years ago by UN Member States. 

Mr. Robert Glasser, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, today extended his congratulations to Mr. Duncan Selbie, the Chief Executive of PHE and its Global Disaster Risk Reduction team led by Prof. Virginia Murray, which completed the review. 

Mr. Glasser said: “England has emerged as a role model for others to follow with this candid assessment of the achievements accomplished against the Sendai Framework’s four priorities and in identifying some of the challenges which lie ahead. 

“The first deadline for the Sendai Framework is to have national and local disaster risk reduction strategies in place by 2020. Public Health England has made a great start on this through the establishment of both a Global Disaster Risk Reduction team which focuses on England’s role in developing international partnerships and policy and for example, an Extreme Events and Health Protection team which have lead on the development and implementation of England’s cold and hot weather plans recognising the impact of climate change.