The 1st WHO Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Initiative Awareness Meeting for the Western Balkans saw 48 policy-makers and key stakeholders from the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova discussing how to respond more swiftly and effectively to crises, including natural disasters, disease outbreaks and conflict.
Participants at the gathering in Serbia, organized by WHO with financial support from the European Union (EU), reflected on lessons learned from the responses to mounting worldwide health emergencies, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco, the ongoing Libyan crisis, and the protracted war in Ukraine.
EMT technical experts and international partners shared innovative and lifesaving approaches, and discussed strengthening the sub-regionalization of the EMT initiative.
Dr Vesna Turkulov, State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Health, explained, “EMTs play a pivotal role in the early phases of many emergency response scenarios, fulfilling specific functions within a country’s integrated health response framework.”
She stressed, “EMTs are an essential element for strengthening preparedness, response and resilience in health emergencies and, ultimately, for saving lives and alleviating the suffering of affected people and communities.”
Dr Fabio Scano, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Serbia, stated, “We are here today to take stock of the common experience and legacy of medical emergency response in the Western Balkans and Moldova, while taking concrete steps to join the WHO Emergency Medical Team initiative. This is in the spirit of solidarity and coordination, and to attain the highest possible standards while strengthening our health systems during an emergency.”
The EMT initiative
EMTs are organized groups of health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics, who help to provide essential and lifesaving health care to individuals and communities affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
The EMT initiative is a global programme led by WHO and comprising a wide and diverse network of EMTs, academic institutions, stakeholders, and partners from across the humanitarian and global health emergency sectors.
Dr Maja Vučković-Krčmar, representing the Delegation of the EU to Serbia, pointed out, “Floods, wildfires and COVID-19 were strong wake-up calls for all of us to come together and get ready to fight whatever crises come our way.”
She added that creating EMTs that work according to the same principles across the Region and worldwide ensures a reliable and quick response. “This is what we all need to do, with the help of the WHO and the EU, linking us with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to provide assistance within and outside our own borders.”
A global strategy for emergency response
The EMT 2030 Strategy was adopted at the 5th EMT Global Meeting in Armenia in October 2022. It envisions a world in which every health authority has the capacity to respond rapidly, effectively and flexibly to emergencies.
The Strategy calls on health authorities and organizations to take a proactive approach to building their EMTs and other rapid-response capacities and systems, using the EMT methodology. Its vision and mission emphasize strengthening the EMT initiative in the WHO European Region.
Dr Abebayehu Assefa Mengistu, Coordinator of the WHO Health Emergencies Balkan Hub, noted, “This event marks a milestone in introducing and supporting the EMT initiative in the Western Balkans in line with the global EMT 2030 Strategy, the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025, and the Roadmap for Health and Well-being in the Western Balkans, 2021–2025.”
A regional action plan
Developing the EMT initiative in the Region will be one of the agenda items at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC73), set to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 24–26 October 2023. The event will engage delegates, partners and health experts on developments, initiatives and new reports relevant to health across the Region. There is a demonstrated demand for further regionalization of the EMT initiative, and many supporting activities are already underway.
The RC73 agenda item, “Strengthening the Emergency Medical Teams initiative in the WHO European Region: preparing for a regional action plan 2024–2030”, presents the rationale, vision and required steps, including ensuring commitment from and engagement of all stakeholders.
In alignment with the EMT 2030 Strategy and Preparedness 2.0, the regional action plan would contribute to stronger health system emergency preparedness, resilience and health security in the Region through the integration of EMT response and coordination capacities in respective health structures.
Sir Geert Gijs, a senior expert on EMTs who spent time in the field in the aftermath of Turkey’s earthquake, recalls that a robust EMT response mounted in collaboration with health authorities and with support from WHO and partners was instrumental in saving lives.
He concluded, “That is why it is important to be here in this forum and to promote the EMT initiative in the Western Balkans through our collective effort to prepare for and respond to health emergencies, creating a safer and healthier world for us all.”