Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

293 point that Kobe has been the venue for world meetings conferences and seminars which have contributed to enrich the discussion around global challenges in managing earthquakes. Examples of this are the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 agreed on during the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 . The latter international instrument aims to increase the resilience of nations through the adoption of seven global objectives, like each state being responsible for preventing and reducing disaster risk, the need for shared responsibility between central governments and authorities, disaster management requiring the commitment of society as a whole and, most importantly, the urgency of an effective and meaningful global alliance and greater strengthening of international cooperation (United Nations, 2015: 13-14). Thus, it is very clear how the Kobe earthquake contributed to crystallizing, internationally, efforts aimed at prevention and management of natural disasters. Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami The Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was a devastating underwater event that occurred in late December 2004 with its epicenter off the coast of Banda Aceh. It is estimated that more than 227 thousand people died. The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean north of Simeulue Island on the western coast of northern Sumatra. The tsunami that was originated by this earthquake devastated coasts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries with waves reaching up to 30m. It caused deaths and serious damage to the east coast of Africa as well. In total, eight people in South Africa died due to high sea levels. At the time, the Indian Ocean lacked a tsunami alert and warning system. The earthquake triggered numerous tsunamis along the coasts of the Indian Ocean (Tsuchiya & Nobuo, 1995). What were its global consequences? The World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe in January 2005 just one month after this devastating earthquake and tsunami agreed, among its multiple advances, to establish a center composed by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (US Geological Survey) and Japan’s Tsunami Warning Center for monitoring and surveillance purposes regarding these phenomena occurring within the Indian Ocean (Tsuchiya & Nobuo, 1995). Hurricane Mitch