WKC Forum: Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations
17 January 2015 marks the 20th-year anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. Commemorating this event, and to synthesize some of its lessons, the WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre – WKC) will organize an open, public forum on “Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations” on Friday, 20 February in Kobe.
The 2005 Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was adopted by all countries to address disaster risk reduction, while agencies such as WHO, UNDP and UNISDR, and others have developed specific guidance for the various aspects of the disaster continuum.
Member States have evaluated the HFA and are negotiating an update and revision at the upcoming March 2015 World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan. Many lessons have been learned in the past decade, including from the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), and from so many other disasters across the world. This has led to a great need to share lessons on how to achieve the current goal of creating a resilient society and community.
Japan has the largest proportion of older adults in the world. As a result, aged populations were much more affected in the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and in the 2011 GEJE. There are many implications from the vulnerability of older populations that help us better understand how to better prepare, respond, and support survivors. This has an impact on one of the biggest issues confronting communities that is caring for survivors that include health, psycho-social, and physical issues. As important members of the community, older persons can help lead and contribute to resilient communities.
In this Forum, five Japanese experts from the fields of medical care, nursing and from local government and from WHO will discuss how to develop a resilient society and community that is better prepared for natural disasters and can further support the survivors of natural disasters drawing from experiences of past disasters. Open discussion including questions from the audience will follow the presentations.
Date & venue:
20 February 2015 (Friday) 14:00–16:00
Hyogo Nursing Association
Programme:
Language: Japanese
14:00–14:10 Opening remarks
14:10–15:25 Presentations
15:25–15:55 Discussion
15:55–16:00 Closing remarks
Speakers:
(in order of presentations)
"Older peoples’ health after the Great East Japan Earthquake: From the epidemiological perspective"
Dr Satoko Mitani
Associate Professor, Unit for Liveable Cities, Kyoto University
"Ageing society and disaster: report form global perspective"
Dr Mayumi Kako
Consultant, WHO Kobe Centre
"Older people's health after the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake: Learning from community support activities"
Dr Kazuhisa Okamoto
Head of Protection Section in Tarumi Ward, Tarumi Ward Office, City of Kobe
"Supporting people's health through the activity of Machi-no-Hokenshitsu (Public health room in communities)"
Professor Aiko Yamamoto
Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing in Disasters and Health Emergency Management
University of Hyogo
"Disaster recovery in the ageing society: the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake"
Dr Sae Ochi
Director of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital