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Twenty-three health professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were trained on management and coordination of large-scale emergencies that require a response from medical teams. This is the first Emergency Medical Team (EMT) training for this part of the WHO European Region and took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on 16–17 May 2017.

The WHO EMT Initiative assists countries and organizations to strengthen health system response by coordinating the deployment of high-quality medical teams in emergencies. These are the experts that provide direct clinical care to the affected population, according to WHO standards.

Participants were briefed on the mechanisms of an EMT response in the event of a sudden-onset large-scale disaster, including the most up-to-date global practices. The sessions also covered lessons learned from previous emergencies shared by experts from Estonia and the Russian Federation. Through interactive group work exercises, the participants deepened their understanding about the international support mechanisms available to countries in the aftermath of an emergency.

WHO/Europe is planning for further activities to strengthen the response capacity across all-hazard emergencies throughout the Region(link is external).

Photo: WHO/Escalante