Abu Dhabi to host the 6th edition of the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting

27 Feb, 2024:

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, announced that the Capital of the UAE has successfully won the bid to host the sixth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting (EMT). Taking place in November 2024, the event reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s position as an international hub for emergency medicine and a leader in healthcare. The first five global meetings were hosted in Geneva, Panama, Hong Kong, and Bangkok and Yerevan.

Leading up to the event, DoH established four specialised emergency medicine teams in Abu Dhabi leading operations on mental health hotline support, steralisation, handling hazardous material, infectious diseases and trauma injuries. The EMT meetings will witness high-level roundtable discussions at the presence of World Health Organization and country leaders as well as meetings of the EMT regional groups. The meeting will address emergency operations, standard setting, research and capacity building. Additionally, various EMTs will have the opportunity to exhibit and present projects and initiatives that have elevated the field of emergency medicine.

Under the leadership of the EMT Strategic Advisory Group of the World Health Organization (WHO), the EMT Global Meeting 2024 will convene with over 1200 participants from over 110 countries and organisations. The event will provide the network an opportunity to define the milestones for a longer EMT strategy—EMT 2030. The main goal of EMT 2030 strategy will be to identify milestone that strengthen National EMT capacities as part of the global health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience (HEPR) architecture.

Dr. Saleh Fares Al Ali, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response Center (CEPAR) at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: “Under the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, Abu Dhabi continues to engrave its healthcare stamp on the global map. It is an honour to be able to host the EMT global meeting in Abu Dhabi this year, which demonstrates the Emirate’s growth as a leading emergency medicine destination. Through our commitment to forging strategic emergency medicine initiatives and partnerships, we have positioned Abu Dhabi as an innovation hub for healthcare across different disciplines. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi remains focused on working with the relevant stakeholders both regionally and globally to ensure the agility of the sector and preparedness of the national healthcare system to respond to rising emergencies through constantly deploying breakthrough technologies, upskilling the workforce and foreseeing rising challenges. Recognising the Emirate’s advanced emergency medicine capabilities, we promise our partners a valuable edition of the EMT global meetings in 2024.”

Confirming Abu Dhabi’s solid emergency medicine infrastructure, the Emirate is set to bring together renowned leaders in emergency medicine, subject matter experts, doctors and healthcare professionals representing over 110 countries to exchange knowledge and expertise and drive dialogue.

The WHO Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Initiative assists organisations and member states to build capacity and strengthen health systems by coordinating the deployment of quality assured medical teams in emergencies. When a disaster strikes or an outbreak flares, the more rapid the response, the better the outcome. That is why the EMT Initiative places such a strong focus on helping every country develop its own teams, who can arrive where they are needed in the shortest time.