Situated in the Ring of Fire, Pacific island countries and areas are highly vulnerable to disasters. Given that local responders are always the first to act, having national emergency medical teams (EMTs) that are well equipped and trained to deploy at a moment’s notice makes timely and high-quality health emergency responses possible, even in lower-resource settings.
The World Health Organization (WHO) works with Pacific island countries to develop and strengthen EMTs through its EMT initiative. With support from the governments of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America, EMTs from the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands recently trained and tested their readiness to respond to health emergencies through workshops and emergency simulation exercises. WHO’s Pacific EMT training modules were designed to ensure that the teams can be self-sufficient and provide high-quality medical care in challenging environments, based on WHO’s global standards adapted to the unique context of Pacific islands.
“Ensuring that first responders are prepared and well equipped to provide necessary medical care in the minutes and hours after a disaster is crucial in strengthening resilience within national emergency response mechanisms,” said Zema Semunegus, Pacific Islands Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). “The dedication and commitment demonstrated by the EMTs to serving their own communities are truly commendable,” she added.
Managing medical supplies and logistics during an emergency
As part of its EMT Initiative, WHO also supports countries and areas with a range of equipment and supplies − known as an EMT cache − and provides training on how to use and manage this specialized equipment. In May 2024, EMTs in the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands received EMT cache and logistics training, as well as onsite support to “kit” the cache and store it to ensure readiness for rapid deployment. Having procedures in place, cache procured and packed for deployment, with clinical and non-clinical staff trained and ready, enables countries to respond quickly to emergencies and provide high-quality care, while also reducing reliance on international assistance.
WHO team members train EMTs in the Federated States of Micronesia on inventory and warehouse management.
Having participated in the EMT cache and logistics training programme, Mayson Fredrick from the Federated States of Micronesia highlighted the benefits of the training: “We’re now better prepared to work in an environment that’s unfamiliar. Most of our team members are used to working in hospitals or offices, where resources are easily available and accessible. Through the EMT training programme, our members are also learning how to be self-sufficient and provide emergency medical services with no external support.”
Testing emergency response readiness through simulation exercises
The WHO training modules cover EMT principles and minimum standards, the deployment cycle, clinical operations, triage and mass casualty management, water/sanitation/hygiene, infection prevention and control, the use of satellite communications and field clinic camp planning. To ensure response readiness, EMTs go through a full-scale simulation exercise and respond to a fictitious sudden-onset disaster.
The Marshall Islands Medical Assistance Team (MIMAT) participates in a simulation exercise during a week-long EMT training in May 2024.
Rambo Phillip, a member of Marshall Islands Medical Assistance Team, described his experience: “A robust emergency response team coordinates and cooperates effectively in a crisis. This is vital during emergencies, when every second counts. Simulation exercises give us an opportunity to practise working together and iron out any coordination challenges, so that when a real emergency arrives, we respond as one team.”
Network of support and collaboration across the Pacific
Interoperability – enabling different EMTs to operate in conjunction with one another – is a long-term goal of WHO’s global EMT Initiative. WHO invites EMTs from the Pacific to share their expertise by contributing to training programmes for teams in neighbouring countries. In May 2024, members of Palau’s EMT, known as KLEMAT, co-facilitated EMT training in the Marshall Islands.
Speaking to the importance of this approach, Tirisa Tirso, a KLEMAT logistician from Palau, said: “When we cross-train, it helps us get to know each other better and get more familiar with how each team operates. Not only are we sharing knowledge, but we’re also learning how to better integrate into each other’s teams. So, when we respond to future emergencies together, we will already have the advantage of an established connection.”
Nearly every country in the Western Pacific has developed EMT capacity or is working to develop national teams. The Region also has 12 classified international EMTs that can deploy to support emergency response efforts in other countries when requested. Through the EMT Initiative, WHO is enabling timely and high-quality responses to emergencies in the Region, and around the world.