Abu Dhabi Prepares For WHO Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting In November 2024

The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH) is set to host the sixth World Health Organisation Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting from 5th to 7th November 2024. This event will highlight Abu Dhabi's role as a healthcare hub, gathering leaders and experts in health emergency preparedness. Participants will discuss recent emergencies and work on the EMT 2030 strategy to enhance global response capacities.

Abu Dhabi will welcome healthcare bodies and humanitarian organisations from over 110 countries. The focus will be on strengthening systems for global health emergency preparedness, resilience, and response. The event will also showcase research and innovations for Emergency Medical Teams, aiming for rapid responses to health crises at various levels.

Emergency Medical Teams consist of health professionals providing essential care during disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflicts. They play a crucial role in delivering timely healthcare and strengthening national systems' capacity to coordinate responses. A major goal of the meeting is advancing the EMT 2030 Strategy to improve surge response capacities worldwide.

The three-day meeting will feature strategic discussions, regional meetings, technical sessions, research presentations, workshops, and an exhibition. These activities aim to showcase innovations in global health emergency preparedness and resilience. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi emphasised the importance of this event in preparing healthcare systems globally for emergencies.

Dr. Al Ghaithi stated: "The EMT Global Meeting is a crucial fixture on the global health agenda, ensuring that healthcare systems worldwide are prepared for emergencies. Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the sixth instalment of this important event is a testament to its status as a hub for prominent global health leaders and practitioners, with the common goal of exchanging knowledge and expertise."

Commitment to Emergency Preparedness

Al Ghaithi added: "The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has been proactively addressing emerging emergencies by constantly deploying breakthrough technologies, upskilling the workforce, and anticipating rising challenges." Abu Dhabi has made significant progress in establishing infrastructure capable of responding effectively to crises like disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

DoH has developed four specialised emergency medical teams in Abu Dhabi focusing on mental health support, sterilisation, hazardous materials handling, infectious diseases, and trauma injuries. This demonstrates DoH's commitment to building a resilient healthcare system through innovation.

Dr. Nedret Emiroglu from WHO highlighted: "The EMT Global Meeting is the peak gathering for the ever-expanding global EMT network... With the increasing frequency... strengthening EMTs... has become even more critical." This meeting marks the first in the region and aims to advance strategies addressing climate change and health emergencies.

The EMT Global Meetings have been hosted across five countries previously, creating a growing network with significant impact. This upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi seeks to further develop strategies launched at the last meeting in Yerevan in 2023 under the EMT 2030 Strategy framework.

This gathering will provide an opportunity for collaboration among global partners towards achieving stronger workforce capacities for better emergency responses worldwide.

With inputs from WAM