MEDIA ADVISORY

Protecting health in earthquakes

Government of Türkiye and WHO Regional Office for Europe joint press conference (hybrid)

WHEN: Thursday, 2 July 2026, 1015–1045 TRT / 0915-0945 CEST / 0815-0845 BST

WHERE: Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, Merkez, Silahşör Cd. No:42, 34381 Şişli, İstanbul, Türkiye

WHY: Earthquakes are the deadliest natural hazard on Earth, and the WHO European Region spans two of the world's major earthquake belts. As health ministers and senior officials from across the Region and beyond conclude a two-day conference in Istanbul, WHO/Europe and the Government of Türkiye will set out what countries have agreed must be done to protect health systems and save lives when the next earthquake strikes.

The conference, hosted by the Government of Türkiye and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, marks three years since the February 2023 earthquakes and closes with an outcome statement on strengthening health systems against earthquakes, and comes just days after a devastating earthquake in Venezuela.

SPEAKERS

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe

Dr Kemal Memişoğlu, Minister of Health of the Republic of Türkiye

Journalists attending in person should arrive by 10am local time for accreditation.

Journalists joining online, please ensure you enter your name and media outlet in your profile. To ask a question, please click "raise hand" and this will enter you into the pool for questions. Alternatively, feel free to type your question in the chat. 

CONNECTION DETAILS:

https://who.zoom.us/j/97824915008

Passcode: v58.Fsw8 (if copying and pasting doesn't work, try typing the passcode)

PRESS CONTACTS:

Bhanu Bhatnagar: bbhatnagar@who.int

Rashad Huseynov, huseynovr@who.int

Haydar Rıdvan Civan, haydarridvan.civan@saglik.gov.tr