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What are Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs)?
EMTs are organized groups of health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and paramedics, that help to provide essential and life-saving health care to individuals and communities affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, disease outbreaks, and other health emergencies.
They may be deployed by governments, militaries, nongovernmental organizations, or international organizations. They may have different names, such as Disaster Medical Assistance Teams or Health Emergency Response Units.
EMTs are purposed to respond to emergencies in their own countries (national or subnational response), in other countries (regional or international response), or both.
They form a critical part of the rapid response and surge capacities of health systems, and contribute to the national, regional, and global health emergency corps (GHEC).
EMTs are an essential element in strengthening preparedness, response, and resilience in health emergencies and, ultimately, in saving lives and alleviating the suffering of affected individuals and communities.
About the EMT initiative
The implementation of the EMT initiative in the Americas has national leadership, with countries adopting the standards as their own and strengthening their capacities to cope with the surge in demand for health care, promoting the rapid mobilization and efficient coordination of both national and regional or international medical teams. The EMT initiative works to:
• Improve the quality and speed of health services provided by EMTs in response to a disaster, outbreak, conflict, or other health emergency; and
• Strengthen national systems and capabilities for rapid mobilization, interoperable deployment, and effective coordination of response teams.