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Emergency medical teams

Emergency medical team

The emergency medical teams (EMTs) programme focuses on strengthening health systems by deploying quality-assured medical teams in emergencies. Its overall aim is to improve the quality and timeliness of health services delivered by both national and international EMTs. In turn, this strengthens both country capabilities and global health security.

This critical programme provides guidance and support to ensure that the deployed teams adhere to minimum quality standards. It also makes sure that the teams are properly integrated into existing coordination structures such as public health emergency operations centres.

In close collaboration with countries and partners, the EMTs programme works with local health authorities and organizations to integrate the deployed teams into national or regional response systems. The programme also aims to build the capacity of national health systems to effectively lead and coordinate the immediate response activities following a disaster, outbreak or other emergency.

EMTs have been deployed to support the response to various crises in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region such as the COVID-19 emergency, floods in Libya and earthquakes in Morocco and Syria.

In the Region, the EMTs programme strives to deliver tailored support, ensure improved governance and engage at the local level in training, development, coordination and emergency response. This is in line with WHO’s global Emergency Medical Teams 2030 Strategy. This seeks to continue to develop a network of effective and high-performing national, subnational and regional EMTs that meet the WHO EMT classification and minimum standards.