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Disaster Management and Public Health: What can the US learn from the UN policies?: Lecture with Professor Virginia Murray, M.D., on November 16th

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This post was authored by Dr. Tomoko Steen, Science Reference Librarian in the Science, Technology, and Business Division.

On Wednesday, November 16, 2016, Professor Virginia Murray will be speaking at the Library of Congress about disaster risk reduction and management from a public health point of view. According to Professor Murray, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030, is one of three United Nations 2015 landmark agreements. It represents a major step in the direction of global policy coherence with explicit reference to health, sustainable development, and climate change. For example, the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan—triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami—was a sobering reminder that even contemporary systems are vulnerable to natural hazards and are complex in their interdependencies with natural and human factors. With Sendai and examples from many other countries, including those in the Pacific, England, and New Zealand, Professor Murray will address the implementation of the Sendai Framework for public health and the importance of working with other multidisciplinary as well as transdisciplinary sciences and policies to further the debate on how to construct a comprehensive, multidimensional approach to reduce disaster risk over the next 15 years. Murray talk

Dr. Murray is a public health physician and consultant at Global Disaster Risk Reduction, Public Health England. She is also the vice-chair of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Scientific and Technical Advisory Group. Prior to this, Professor Murray worked at Public Health England’s predecessor, the Health Protection Agency, where she developed evidence based preparedness, response and recovery advice on public health impacts from flooding, heat, cold, volcanic ash, other extreme weather and natural hazards events, as well as for acute and chronic air, water, land, and product-related chemical incidents. Professor Murray, who has published widely, was appointed Visiting Professor at MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College and King’s College, London (2004), Honorary Professor at University College London (2013), and is a visiting professor at United Nations University (UNU-IIGH, 2016-2018).

This lecture is cosponsored by the Library of Congress Office of Health Services.

Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Time: 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Place: Pickford Theater, 3rd floor, Madison Building

Free, no reservations needed!

For inquiries about this program contact Dr. Tomoko Steen in the Science, Technology & Business Division at [email protected] or the division office at: 202-707-1212. Individuals requiring accommodations for this event are requested to submit a request at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].

The lecture will be later broadcast on the library’s webcast page and YouTube channel “Topics in Science” playlist.

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