Abu Dhabi Successfully Concludes Pioneering WHO Sixth Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting

9 Nov, 2024:

Abu Dhabi has further solidified its position as a global leader in healthcare transformation and health emergency preparedness and response by successfully hosting the largest Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting to date. The sixth World Health Organization Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting, organised by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) attracted over 1,300 participants from across 140 countries. This landmark event brought together experts in emergency management, disaster medicine, and humanitarian aid to advance global health emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Overall, the event achieved remarkable success, featuring participation from +130 speakers from national health authorities, intergovernmental and non-gorvenmental organisations s, conducting over 30 technical sessions, and showcasing the innovations of 26 exhibitors. This impressive turnout confirms Abu Dhabi’s commitment to transforming health emergency preparedness and response, further reflecting its capabilities in setting new standards for how healthcare systems can adapt, innovate and collaborate in a rapidly changing world.

H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: “Over the past three days, we have seen the transformative power of collaboration in action. We’ve heard from global leaders about managing crises across diverse environments, from urban hubs to the most remote areas among many other key topics. We have celebrated the pioneering spirit that drives the global emergency management and response ecosystem. We’ve also witnessed the certification of 12 new emergency medical teams from nine countries, now ready to respond swiftly and effectively to challenges anywhere in the world. The event has catalysed a dynamic exchange of ideas and best practices that will significantly enhance global preparedness and resilience against future health crises. The insights gained across these three days will serve as a blueprint to further advance the agenda of promoting EMTs and the EMT initiative globally. The Department looks forward to building on the momentum generated by this event, as we continue to work alongside WHO and our partners across the ecosystem to enhance our emergency medical response capabilities, set new standards for healthcare excellence, and cultivate agile and effective ecosystems worldwide.”

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) commended the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi for its successful organisation of the sixth World Health Organization Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting, the first of its kind in the region. The event attracted significant international attention, bringing together prominent figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), lending considerable international prestige to the event. H.E. emphasised that the UAE’s hosting of such a global event will further reinforce the country’s role in advancing the global emergency health system, in line with the directives of the UAE’s leadership. The gathering has provided an ideal platform to establish strategic partnerships among emergency medicine experts and specialised institutions worldwide. The meeting also focused on strengthening national and regional capacities to ensure effective emergency responses, as well as refining strategies for emergency medical teams to tackle emerging challenges, especially those related to climate change and its effects on public health. Dr. Al Olama noted that the outcomes of this meeting will play a key role in improving institutional coordination, boosting the UAE’s preparedness, and reinforcing its sustainable leadership in tackling future health challenges.

The first-of-its-kind event in the region served as a global network hub, facilitating high-level discussions and sessions focused on strengthening national and regional capacities for effective emergency response. The meeting achieved key tangible outcomes to advance the EMT 2030 Strategy. Across the three days, attendees engaged in technical sessions addressing operational standards, innovative practices, and the latest advancements in health emergency medical response services under four strategic objectives: Governance, Leadership & Partnerships, Emergency Response & Capacity Building, Standard Setting & Quality Assurance and Research & Innovation.

Additionally, the event featured a dedicated EMT exhibition hall, where teams and partners of the EMT Network highlighted their equipment, technologies, innovations, and best practices. This exhibition provided a unique platform for global emergency response professionals to present cutting-edge solutions, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration, further enhancing global health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience capabilities.

The Global Meeting featured high-level roundtable discussions with WHO and country leaders, alongside EMT regional groups meetings across WHO's six regions. These sessions served as the main forum for Member States, EMTs, and other stakeholders to drive regional implementation of the EMT Initiative. Moreover, the Meeting witnessed the participation and attendance of esteemed WHO profiles such as Dr. Flavio Salio, EMT Network leader at WHO, Dr. Micheal J. Ryan, Deputy Director-General& Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr. Rick Brennan, WHO Regional Emergency Director of the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Teodor Herbosa, Secretary of Health for the Philippines, Dr. Santino Severoni, WHO Director of Migration and Health and Dr. Flavio Salio, EMT Network leader at WHO.

Dr. Micheal J. Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme & Deputy Director-General, WHO, said: "The courage, the bravery, the professionalism that I have witnessed from Emergency Medical Teams over the last year, their commitment here, their willingness to work together in partnership, their willingness to learn lessons from each other, to set new standards, and to all strive to be excellent in emergency situations because the people we serve in emergency situations are among the most vulnerable in the world, they need the best level of care, they need it quickly, and the ability for EMTs to deploy so quickly, so comprehensively in these situations is brilliant. It’s fantastic to be here to see the enthusiasm and the professionalism."

The EMT Global Meetings have been hosted across five countries over the years, creating a growing global network with increasing reach and impact. Significantly, this was the first EMT Global Meeting to be held in this region (the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region). The last Global Meeting in Yerevan in 2023 marked the launch of the landmark EMT 2030 Strategy. This Global Meeting seeked to advance this Strategy to address the issues of climate change and health emergencies.

The event witnessed the participation of local and global organisations including the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA), TASNEEF, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), the Emergencies, Crisis and Disasters Management Centre – Abu Dhabi (ADCMC), the Ministry of Defence (MOD), EMT Solutions, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation(AECID), Aspen, Humanity First and many more.