2 Russian, 1 Chinese Emergency Medical Team Get World Health Organization Certification

In a bid to ensure that medical teams sent abroad to respond to an emergency have well-trained staff and bring along the proper medicine and equipment to respond to the situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) had launched a certification program in 2015. Two emergency medical teams from Russia and one from China have become the first certified by the WHO to respond to disasters and disease outbreaks globally, the UN health agency said.

"Two teams from Russia and one from China completed WHO's rigorous classification process. This means that, when a disaster strikes and an affected country requests help, we can quickly deploy medical teams that we know meet our high standards," WHO chief Margaret Chan said in the statement.

Funding Decreases for United States President's Emergency Plan
Many countries rely on the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to help pay for vital health care services for people with the disease.

‘Two emergency medical teams from Russia and one from China have become the first certified by the World Health Organization to respond to disasters and disease outbreaks globally.’

Tweet it Now

There are currently 67 medical teams from 25 countries working to receive the coveted stamp of approval, and WHO expects that number to rise to as many as 200 teams within the next couple of years, representing more than 100,000 health workers, Ian Norton, who leads the work on foreign medical teams at WHO, told reporters.

The certification program came in response to the humanitarian and medical aid debacle in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince six years ago, killing more than 200,000 people.

"We saw hundreds of teams descend on Haiti with the very best intentions to treat those affected by the earthquake," Ian Norton, who leads the work on foreign medical teams at WHO, told reporters. "Unfortunately in healthcare, good intentions aren't enough," he said, pointing out that "some arrived without the right training, some arrived without the right equipment and supplies and became almost more of a burden than a help."

Patients Who Receive Home Nutritional Care may Need to Have Emergency Plans
Researchers are now calling for home parenteral and enteral nutrition consumers to have a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan to ensure that the needs are met during the time of a disaster

Since then, the global medical community has taken great strides to better coordinate responses to disasters and outbreaks, Norton said. He stressed that it is always better for countries to ensure and coordinate their own emergency response.

But in cases where they need outside help, the foreign medical teams must be sufficiently trained and bring with them the appropriate medication, which must meet international standards.

Appendicitis, the Most Common Abdominal Emergency Surgery
In lower income countries, patients undergoing emergency surgery have a three times greater chance of death than in higher income countries.

The new WHO-certified teams will only be deployed if a government requests their assistance.

"Providing teams with WHO certificates will help ensure that disaster-affected governments and their populations (receive) predictable and timely responses by well-trained medical personnel and self-sufficient teams," WHO said.

Yellow Fever Epidemic, the New Global Health Emergency
Yellow fever is spread by a species of mosquito common to areas of Africa and South America. If untreated, it can lead to liver failure and death.

Source-AFP