In April 2016, exactly one year on from the devastating Gorkha earthquake, a conference was held to discuss the lessons learned from the disaster and how the health care sector can become more resilient in the face of natural and manmade disasters.

The participants concluded that environmentally friendly technologies have the potential to assist health care facilities to stay operational during crises, as well as reducing the amount of dangerous pollution they emit. Up to twenty three percent of deaths globally are linked to environmental factors, including air and water pollution.

The delegates’ conclusions have now been drawn together into a declaration that calls for environmental performance to be considered as an indicator or benchmark in the design of health care systems and emergency planning for risk reduction.