When disease outbreaks, natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies strike, the speed at which medical teams reach affected communities can determine whether patients receive timely treatment.
But preparing those teams to respond requires investment long before an emergency occurs, a challenge now confronting governments across Africa.
This was a central concern at the seventh World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting, which concluded in Addis Ababa on 5 November, with health ministers, emergency responders and partners pushing for sustainable financing of national emergency medical teams.
The meeting, the first of its kind to be held in Africa, brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 100 countries between 3 and 5 November.
Discussions laid the groundwork for a proposed Addis Accord, which seeks to make national emergency medical teams a permanent component of countries’ health emergency workforce rather than temporary structures activated only when disasters occur.
At the centre of the proposed agreement is a financing question: how can governments maintain trained personnel, medical equipment and operational systems when there is no immediate emergency demanding their deployment?
For WHO, emergency preparedness cannot depend entirely on international assistance mobilised after a crisis has already begun.
“A medical team’s ability to save lives depends on decisions made long before an emergency begins,” said Professor Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
He called for sustained public financing and partnerships that strengthen national capacity, arguing that governments must invest in the personnel, equipment and systems required to deliver timely emergency care.
The financing debate comes as African countries seek to strengthen their capacity to respond to increasingly complex health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, disasters and humanitarian crises.
While international emergency medical assistance remains important, reliance on external teams can leave countries struggling to establish rapid, coordinated responses using their own resources.
The Addis meeting therefore placed national ownership at the centre of discussions, examining how governments can integrate emergency medical teams into existing health systems and maintain their readiness between deployments.
Participants also explored practical obstacles to international deployment, including certification, cross-border movement of personnel, transportation of medical equipment and procedures for requesting and accepting assistance.
These considerations matter because emergency response requires more than having doctors and nurses available. Teams must operate under recognised clinical standards, coordinate with local health authorities and reach affected populations with the necessary supplies and equipment.
The meeting also recognised progress in building internationally classified emergency response capacity. Certificates were awarded to 31 newly classified teams and eight reclassified teams, reflecting efforts to ensure that emergency medical services meet agreed global standards.
For Africa, the discussions also provided an opportunity to advance implementation of the Regional Framework for Emergency Medical Teams 2026–2030, adopted by African health ministers in August.
The framework sets an ambitious target: every African country should have a functional national emergency medical team integrated into its national emergency response system by 2030.
Ethiopia offered an example of what such investment can achieve.
Its national emergency medical team received WHO international classification in September 2026, recognising the country’s efforts to develop a team capable of delivering healthcare during demanding emergency situations.
Ahead of the global meeting, a simulation exercise at the Regional EMT Training and Knowledge Hub in Addis Ababa demonstrated how teams coordinate deployments, conduct patient triage and operate under challenging conditions.
WHO Representative in Ethiopia Dr Francis Kasolo said the classification recognised years of work by health professionals and national institutions.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health in sustaining the team’s capacity while facilitating training and knowledge exchange with other countries.
Beyond certification, however, the challenge facing governments is ensuring that emergency teams remain operational after the international attention surrounding their establishment fades.
Maintaining readiness requires continuous investment in workforce development, equipment, logistics, clinical standards and coordination mechanisms.
For countries with competing healthcare priorities and limited public resources, securing predictable funding for emergency preparedness will be a critical test of political commitment.
The proposed Addis Accord seeks to move this conversation towards long-term commitments, although the WHO announcement did not indicate that the accord had been formally adopted or provide details of binding financial commitments.
The meeting closed with WHO pledging continued support for national planning, team development and coordination.
As African countries work towards the 2030 target, the measure of progress will not simply be how many emergency medical teams receive international classification, but whether governments can keep them trained, equipped and ready when the next crisis arrives.
