Addis Ababa — Ministers, health leaders and partners at the first WHO Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting held in Addis Ababa took steps towards an Addis Accord to secure sustained financing for national teams and make them a permanent part of countries’ health emergency workforce.
The seventh WHO EMT Global Meeting brought together more than 1000 participants from over 100 countries from 3 to 5 November.
Hosted by the Government of Ethiopia in collaboration with the <a href="https://absafricatv.com/when-israeli-culture-is-rejected-by-the-world/” title=”When Israeli Culture is Rejected by the World”>World Health Organization (WHO), with support from Macao SAR and the Robert Koch Institute, it convened emergency medical teams, ministries of health, researchers, partners and WHO experts from around the world.
The meeting awarded certificates to 31 newly classified and eight reclassified teams. Each certificate represents years of work to ensure that the care teams provide during emergencies meets agreed global standards.
A high-level panel examined how governments can embed national EMTs in their emergency response systems and fund their readiness between emergencies. These discussions laid the groundwork for the proposed Addis Accord.
“A medical team’s ability to save lives depends on decisions made long before an emergency begins,” said Professor Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Governments must invest in the people, equipment and systems that get care to patients quickly. This requires sustained public funding and partners whose support strengthens national capacity.”
Technical sessions addressed national ownership, harmonization of certification processes and practical barriers to cross-border deployment. Participants examined procedures for requesting and accepting assistance, transporting personnel and moving equipment and supplies.
Teams shared experience from outbreaks, disasters and humanitarian crises, including how they reinforce local health services and coordinate with international teams when additional support is needed. Discussions also covered clinical standards, workforce readiness, research and innovation.
For the African Region, the meeting supported implementation of the Regional Framework for Emergency Medical Teams 2026–2030, adopted by African health ministers in August. The framework sets the goal of a functional national EMT in every country by 2030, integrated into national emergency response systems.
Ethiopia’s national EMT, which achieved WHO international classification in September 2026, illustrated the investment needed to build this capacity. Ahead of the meeting, a simulation exercise at the Regional EMT Training and Knowledge Hub in Addis Ababa demonstrated deployment, triage and coordination under difficult conditions.
“Ethiopia’s classification recognizes years of work by health professionals and national institutions to build a team that can deliver care under demanding conditions,” said the WHO Representative in Ethiopia, Dr Francis Kasolo. “WHO will continue working with the Ministry of Health to sustain this capacity and support other countries through training and exchange of expertise.”
WHO will continue to support countries to take forward the meeting’s priorities through national planning, team development and stronger coordination, helping ensure that people affected by emergencies receive timely, quality care.
First EMT Global Meeting in Africa advances commitment to sustainable national teams
