World Health Day is celebrated globally every year on 7 April to mark the founding of the World Health Organization and to raise awareness of a key global health issue. The theme for World Health Day 2009 was "Health facilities in emergencies", which underscores the importance of investing in health infrastructure that is able to withstand natural hazards, conflicts or a deteriorating situation and that is able to serve and protect people in immediate need.

However, the reality is often different and many health facilities, health workers and patients are vulnerable in the event of an emergency and in the aftermath of an emergency.