The Emergency Medical Teams initiative in the WHO European Region: taking the global 2030 Strategy to the regional, subregional and national levels

9 October 2023, 10:00-11:30 CEST

The Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) initiative works to improve the timeliness and quality of health services provided by national and international EMTs, and to enhance the capacity of national health systems in leading the activation and coordination of rapid response capacities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, outbreak or other emergency.

Recently, EMTs have been deployed to support response activities for the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. In the Region, the initiative is working to provide tailored support, ensure better governance, and engage at the local level on training, development, coordination and response.

This side event will update Member States on the progress of the EMT initiative in the Region, and provide an opportunity to discuss the creation of a regional EMT action plan for 2024­–2030 to reinforce health systems’ emergency preparedness and resilience by integrating EMT capacities into national frameworks. The proposed plan is aligned with the Preparedness 2.0 priority and the global EMT 2030 Strategy.