Disaster risk reduction A/RES/72/218 design, management, resourcing and implementation of gender-responsive and disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programmes, and recognizes in this regard that women and girls are disproportionately exposed to risk, increased loss of livelihoods and even loss of life during and in the aftermath of disasters, and that disasters and the consequent disruption to physical, social, economic and environmental networks and support systems disproportionately affect persons with disabilities and their families; 26. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective and the perspectives of persons with disabilities in disaster risk management so as to strengthen the resilience of communities and reduce social v ulnerabilities to disasters, and in this regard recognizes the need for the inclusive participation and contribution of women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and local communities, as well as the role of youth, volunteers, migrants, local communities, academia, scientific and research entities and networks, business, professional associations, private sector financing institutions and the media, in all forums and processes related to disaster risk reduction, in accord ance with the Sendai Framework; 27. Recognizes that biological hazards require strengthened coordination between disaster and health risk management systems in the areas of risk assessment, surveillance and early warning, and that resilient health infrastructures and strengthened health systems capable of implementing the International Health Regulations (2005), 20 as well as increasing the overall capacity of health systems, reduce overall disaster risk and build disaster resilience; 28. Expresses its appreciation to the Government of Mexico for hosting the fifth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico, from 22 to 26 May 2017, acknowledges the Chair’s summary and the Cancun highlevel communiqué, and reaffirms the importance of the Global Platform as a forum to assess and discuss progress on the Sendai Framework and advance coherence between disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation; 29. Also expresses its appreciation to the Governments of Canada, Fiji, Finland, India, Mauritius, Qatar and Tajikistan as hosts of the regional platforms for disaster risk reduction, recognizes the platforms as important mechanisms for cooperation to implement the Sendai Framework, looks forward to the upcoming regional platforms and their deliberations, to be held in Colombia, Italy, Mongolia and Tunisia, as well as to the sixth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, to be hosted by Switzerland in Geneva in 2019, and recognizes the contributions these platforms make to the high-level political forum on sustainable development; 30. Reaffirms that international cooperation for disaster risk reduction includes a variety of sources and is a critical element in supportin g the efforts of developing countries to reduce disaster risk, and encourages States to strengthen international and regional information exchange and sharing, including through establishing and networking risk management centres, promoting critical technology research cooperation on disaster reduction and improving international coordination mechanisms to respond to large-scale natural disasters; 31. Acknowledges the importance of the work of the agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations system and other relevant institutions in disaster risk reduction, the substantial increase in demands on the United Nations Office for __________________ 20 17-23287 World Health Organization, document WHA58/2005/REC/1, resolution 58.3, annex. 7/8