Angola, Cape Verde and three other countries reinforce emergency response

Adelegations from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe developed the plans during the first WHO regional seminar, specifically designed for Portuguese-speaking countries, with the support of China and the Macao Special Administrative Region.

WHO experts and national delegations work together to assess existing capabilities, identify operational gaps and define priority actions for the training of national teams with appropriate training, equipment and coordination.

The resulting action plans define the responsibilities and actions for the next 12 to 24 months, providing a basis for sustained national action, continuous technical support from the WHO and measurable progress towards operational readiness.

The WHO African Region reports more than 100 public health emergencies annually, ranging from outbreaks of climate-related diseases and disasters to humanitarian crises.

Although 27 countries are developing national emergency medical teams, only 12 have achieved operational readiness in accordance with WHO minimum standards.

Progress between Portuguese-speaking countries has been partially limited by restricted access to specialized guidance and language barriers.

“ An effective emergency response depends on national teams that can be mobilised quickly and operate effectively from the start,” said Marie-Roseline Darnycka Béliaire, WHO Regional Emergency Director in Africa.

During the seminar, the WHO approach was presented in 10 stages for the development of national emergency medical teams and their integration into existing health emergency response systems.

On the basis of the experiences gained with covid-19, cholera, cyclones and other emergencies, delegations examined the governance, financing, human resources, equipment, logistics and coordination mechanisms needed to establish a sustainable national team.