COVID-19 as an Accelerator of the Implementation of Emergency Medical Teams Initiative in the AFRO Region.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes the progress that the World Health Organization (WHO) African (AFRO) region has made in establishing National Emergency Medical Teams (N-EMTs), the coordination mechanisms of the EMTs, and the regional training centers. METHODS: It used a retrospective descriptive analysis of the formulation and implementation of the EMTs Initiative from an insider perspective. The analysis is based on the review of available documents such as EMTs mission reports, assessments, surveys, EMT monthly bulletins, and meeting minutes in addition to key informant interviews (n = 5) with the EMT teams' members to validate the findings and share field experiences. RESULTS: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acted as an accelerator for the implementation of the EMT initiative in the AFRO region. A total of 18 EMT deployments were carried out in 16 countries in the AFRO region through the WHO EMT-network during COVID-19, providing support to countries in managing severe and critical COVID-19 cases. CONCLUSIONS: A Regional Training Center for N-EMTs is being set up in Addis Ababa to train the N-EMTs and strengthen local capacity of health personnel in the region. Challenges include unavailability of mentors to support countries in implementing N-EMTs and the Regional Simulation Training Center, poor funding, and coordination in the rolling out of the N-EMTs.

The role of emergency medical teams in Eswatini during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper documents experiences and lesson learned in responding to COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini with the support of the Emergency Medical Teams. WHO databases, operation reports and hospitalization records were reviewed. The WHO Emergency Medical Teams built the capacity of the local response teams in Eswatini. The conclusion is that following the intervention of the WHO Emergency Medical Teams, Eswatini is better prepared to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks.

Clinical Characteristics of the 2013 Haiyan Typhoon Victims Presenting to the Belgian First Aid and Support Team.

OBJECTIVE: In 2013, the Philippines was struck by typhoon Haiyan, which damaged local hospitals and disrupted health care. The Belgian First Aid and Support Team erected a field hospital and water purification unit in Palo. This study aims to describe the diagnoses encountered and treatment provided. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, medical records of 1267 field hospital patients were reviewed for gender, age, complaints, diagnoses, and management and referral information. RESULTS: Almost 28% of the patients suffered from injury, but most presented with nonsurgical diseases (64%), particularly of respiratory (31%), dermatological (11%), and digestive (8%) origin. Only 53% presented with disaster-related pathology, and 59% showed signs of infection. Patients needed wound care (47%), pain relief (33%), or antibiotics (29%); 9% needed procedures, 8% needed fluid therapy, and 5% needed psychological support. Children under 5 years of age were more at risk for infections (OR, 18.8; CI, 10.6-33.3) and injuries (OR, 10.3; CI, 6.3-16.8). Males were more prone to injuries than females (OR, 2.1; CI, 1.6-2.6). CONCLUSIONS: One week after the acute phase of a typhoon, respiratory, dermatological, and digestive problems emerge to the prejudice of trauma. Only 53% of patients presented with disaster-related conditions. Young children are more at risk for injury and infectious diseases. These trends should be anticipated when composing Emergency Medical Teams and medical resources to be sent to disaster sites. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:265-278).