Geneva, Switzerland – The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Initiative has launched the Global Surge Tracker, a secure, online platform designed to enhance the visibility of EMT deployments and support a more coordinated and evidence-informed global emergency response.
Addressing Gaps in Global Deployment Reporting
The Global Surge Tracker was developed in response to operational and strategic gaps identified by the EMT community regarding the documentation and tracking of EMT deployments—particularly at the national level. While international deployments are often visible through coordination mechanisms, many national or sub-national activations remain unreported at the global level.
By providing a simple mechanism for voluntary reporting of EMT deployments, the Tracker supports improved coordination, analysis, and resource planning. It also enables WHO and Member States to better understand the scale, scope, and impact of EMT contributions in health emergencies.
“Every emergency response has a story—but too often, those stories go untold,” said Professor Dr Johanna Hanefeld, Chair of the EMT Strategic Advisory Group. “By reporting your team’s deployment, you make the impact of the EMT Movement visible—transforming response into evidence, and evidence into a stronger, more coordinated global effort.”
Objectives of the Global Surge Tracker
The Tracker contributes to the implementation of the EMT 2030 Strategy, particularly under Strategic Objectives related to:
- Enhancing information management and evidence generation
- Strengthening surge coordination mechanisms
- Supporting global and regional learning through after-action reviews and lessons learned
Specifically, the Global Surge Tracker aims to:
- Enable voluntary and secure reporting of EMT deployments at all levels
- Improve the availability of data on EMT surge activities
- Facilitate evidence-based planning, policy development, and donor engagement
- Strengthen accountability and recognition of EMT contributions to health emergency response
Key Features
- Accessible, WHO-hosted digital platform
- Voluntary reporting open to all EMTs, including classified teams, mentoring teams, and national EMTs
- Captures basic information on team type, location, timeframe, technical focus, and deployment outcomes
- Supports both international and domestic activations
How to Participate
All EMTs are encouraged to use the Global Surge Tracker to report deployments:
- Access the platform via the link below
- Complete the short deployment reporting form
- Submit the information to WHO for inclusion in the global dataset
Data collected through the platform will be used to inform EMT reports, global health emergency analysis, and strategic planning processes. Aggregated data may also support publications and operational learning products developed by the WHO EMT Secretariat and its partners.
Contributing to a Stronger EMT Movement
The Global Surge Tracker reflects WHO’s commitment to advancing predictable, effective, and accountable surge response through improved data systems and shared knowledge. The tool will also inform future developments in the WHO EMT Online Platform and complement ongoing efforts to strengthen national EMT capacities.
By contributing to the Tracker, EMTs help demonstrate the collective impact of the Movement, enhance global situational awareness, and support a more coordinated and effective emergency response system.
Access the Global Surge Tracker:
👉 https://bit.ly/EMTTracker
📩 For inquiries, contact the WHO EMT Secretariat at: emteams@who.int