UNITED NATIONS, Bangkok – The need for resilient health systems capable of delivering quality sexual and reproductive health, and the crucial role of women in reducing disaster risks, will be discussed during a special side event organized by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR). The conference takes place from 14 to 18 March in Sendai, Japan.

During the UNFPA event, high-level panelists will underline the importance of strong health systems for mitigating disaster risks - using the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as a case study - and highlight the need for preparedness and response at the national, regional and global levels. They will also discuss what is required to put women, the backbone of communities’ resilience, at the centre of the post-2015 disaster risk reduction efforts.

A Q&A session will follow the discussions.

WHO:
Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA (Chair)
Ms. Miata Gbanya, Deputy Chairman, Incident Management Systems for Ebola Response, Ministry of Health, Liberia
Dr. Remi Sogunro, UNFPA Representative, Liberia
Ms. Anjali Sen, South Asia Regional Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation
Ms. Corazon "Dinky" Solomon, Secretary, Department of Social Welfare, Philippines
Mr. Agus Wibowo, Head of Data Division, Centre of Data, BNPB, Indonesia
Ms. Sumie Ishii, Executive Director, JOICFP
Ms. Doina Bologa, UNFPA Representative, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

WHEN:
Sunday, 15 March

Session I: 9:00-10:30 a.m.: Resilience in the Context of Ebola: Ensuring the Development-Response-Recovery Nexus of Quality Sexual and Reproductive Health

Session II: 10:45-12 noon: Putting Women and Girls at the Centre: A Responsibility and an Opportunity

WHERE:
Room B201, Tohoku University Kawauchi-kita Campus, Sendai, Japan

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For more information, or to set up interviews with participants, please contact:
Roy Wadia: wadia@unfpa.org; phone: +66 848 752 634