When disaster strikes or an outbreak flares, WHO-certified Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) stand ready to deliver rapid health care where most needed, in the shortest time possible. To strengthen national emergency preparedness, a national Emergency Medical Team will be created in Armenia following consensus at a high-level stakeholders meeting that was co-chaired by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Emergency Situations on 18 November 2021.
Armenia's national EMT, which consists of doctors, nurses, paramedics and supportive staff, will aim to achieve the status of a globally classified team with high-quality standards of care through the EMT Global Classification Process.
“Having an internationally classified EMT is a priority for Armenia, as it will allow us to respond promptly to possible emergencies in our country and to carry out international humanitarian missions in case of need,” says Anahit Avanesyan, Armenia’s Minister of Health.
The national EMT will be established under the leadership and support of WHO and its EMT Secretariat, as well as the office in Georgia of the German aid and welfare organization Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, which is funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
“With natural disasters increasing in frequency, intensity and severity, and impacting the sustainable development of countries, there is an urgent need to unite efforts and increase the level of both preparedness and response,” says Andranik Piloyan, Armenia’s Minister of Emergency Situations.
The WHO EMT initiative assists countries to build capacity and strengthen their health systems by coordinating the deployment of qualified medical teams in emergencies. WHO classification means that the team has been accredited as compliant with international WHO standards for being proficient in the direct treatment of patients.
“Global experience shows that having a trained EMT workforce enables delivery of high-quality health care assistance in critical situations,” says Oleg Storozhenko, WHO Special Representative in Armenia. “The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the importance of the availability of standardized surge medical capacities within the country to support the national health care system when international emergency response resources are limited or exhausted. Along with partners, WHO has committed to supporting Armenia in establishing the national EMT and reinforcing the country’s health emergency preparedness and response capacities.”