The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia with the EMT Secretariat from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and WHO Headquarters have concluded their preparatory discussions with an agreement to hold the EMT Global Meeting 2022 in Yerevan. Armenia will host this high-level international event in the fall 2022.
This will be the first time an EMT global meeting is being hosted in Yerevan -- located in the heart of the South Caucasus -- and in the WHO European Region. Welcoming the agreement to host the EMT Global Meeting in Yerevan, Ms Anahit Avanesyan, Armenian Minister of Health, expressed the urgent need for strengthening national health emergency readiness and response capacities. She thanked the WHO and its EMT Secretariat for helping “scale-up the national medical surge capacity to adhere to WHO standards, and become part of the global EMT network”.
The process of development of the Armenian National Emergency Response Medical Team has made considerable progress since its establishment last year under the auspices of the Ministry of remains a priority to the country, Avanesyan said. “Hosting the EMT Global Meeting is a milestone for Armenia that will certainly highlight national efforts for further enhancing public health systems”, she added.
Dr Jihane Tawilah, WHO Representative to Armenia, appreciated “the full commitment of the Ministry of Health and its leadership to make the forthcoming event a success. I am very happy that WHO with the EMT network are contributing to more health safety in Armenia, thus benefiting all citizens.” Dr Tawilah added: “Supporting the Ministry of Health to secure a resilient health system is one of the priorities of WHO in Armenia and can only be achieved with our partners”.
Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe, noted the concrete progress achieved by the Armenian Ministry of Health in strengthening the National Emergency Response Medical Team. He thanked Armenia for agreeing to host the upcoming global conference, stating: “The role of Emergency Medical Teams has never been more significant, and its evolution amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and numerous emergencies and crises has been a testament to that. Armenia will be providing a critical platform for the EMTs globally to assemble and discuss priorities, work plans and next steps informed by outcomes from the 75th World Health Assembly”.
Developing EMT global strategy
EMT global meetings have proved instrumental in steering the direction of the initiative across and within WHO Regions, upholding standards of care in emergencies and fostering collaboration and support from the various Member States and partners of the network and those involved in EMT surge response. This 3-day event will include plenary sessions, regional group sessions and specialty, technical streams.
Flavio Salio, EMT Network Leader, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, stated: “Following postponements due to COVID-19, the upcoming 5th EMT global meeting is essential for Member States and partners of the network to review what has been accomplished in recent years, build on lessons learned and best practices, and guide the future strategic direction of the Initiative and its network.”
Since the inception of the EMT Initiative, 4 global meetings have been held, bringing together the diverse community of EMT providers, member states and partners and providing a platform for the development of global strategy for the initiative.
These meetings have proved instrumental in steering the direction of the initiative across and within WHO Regions and fostering collaboration and support from the various Member States and partners of the network and those involved in EMT surge response. This 3-day event will include plenary sessions, regional group sessions and specialty, technical streams.
WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) will make funds available to cover meeting costs and participation of representatives from low- and middle-income countries. The support and expertise of WHE/EURO and WHO Country Office in Armenia will be provided for facilitating required support, including but not limited to hosting arrangements and logistics.