The WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre – WKC) conducts research and promotes its uptake to ensure that more people will be better protected from the health impact of emergencies and disasters. Dr Ryoma Kayano, technical officer at WKC, shared the Centre’s research on health emergencies and disaster risk management (Health EDRM) at an international conference on climate change and its impact on public health and disaster risk.
Through live-streaming, Dr Kayano emphasized the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach in disaster risk reduction and offered suggestions for actionable research to reduce the impact of climate-related disasters. The session aimed to integrate insights from interdisciplinary research and global initiatives, and highlight strategies for monitoring, mitigating and adapting to the escalating health risks due to deteriorating air quality driven by climate change. It also offered Dr Kayano an opportunity to expand the Health EDRM research network.
The International Conference of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) is a multi-sectoral initiative of the International Science Council and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) which took place on 22 October 2024.