The regional framework positions the health sector as a key actor in the broader disaster risk management agenda. This is of special significance considering the March 2015 United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, and upcoming meetings on the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health recommends health sector actions for each of the four phases of the disaster risk management cycle - prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Governments should select priorities on which to focus according to their own national disaster risk management plans, as well as the local context and potential hazards.