Protecting health facilities: design options for armed conflict and climate change disasters

Abstract

Hospital facility designs are essential to maintaining function during times of disaster. For hospitals to remain open during emergencies, their structures must resist forces from many types of hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and even societal hazards, such as war. Natural disasters are becoming more dangerous with the advent of global climate change. In this article, we investigate health care building design interventions to protect facilities. Ultimately, a multi-hazard approach is the best way to prepare hospitals for resiliency in the face of disaster.