What to know about the European Medical Corps

One of the biggest realizations of the aid world at the height of the Ebola crisis was the lack of sufficient response teams ready for immediate deployment in the event of a public health emergency. Ebola response suffered from gaps in human resources, from qualified health care workers to logisticians and engineers who were willing and able to face the risks on the ground. These positions were eventually filled, but recruiters were pushed to the limit, different countries’ militaries got involved to bring in logistical and engineering support, and various humanitarian players got embroiled in a blame game. The World Health Organization was heavily criticized for its slow response to the crisis and delayed declaration of a public health emergency. Learning from the Ebola emergency, the WHO launched a unit in late 2014 tasked with building a global registry of foreign medical teams that can be immediately tapped into in the event of a similar crisis. Now, the European Union has joined the effort with the launch of the European Medical Corps, a certified team of experts and professionals in public health and emergency medical response who can be rapidly deployed in the event of an emergency. The medical corps — identified as Europe’s contribution to the Global Health Emergency Workforce under WHO — is expected to include emergency medical teams, public health and medical coordination experts, mobile biosafety laboratories, medical evacuation planes and logistical support teams. Here’s what we think you should know about the EU’s latest initiative. How will it work? The teams will be tapped for any emergency with health consequences, although not strictly for health emergencies or epidemics like Ebola, according to Alexandre Polack, European Commission spokesperson for humanitarian aid and crisis management. Earthquakes or industrial incidents when local capacities are overwhelmed might also require their assistance. Most of the teams can be deployed within 24 to 48 hours following a request of assistance, but bigger teams may sometimes take up to four days to deploy. Deployment will depend on several factors, such as geographical location, local capacities and size and nature of the assistance needed. Final decision on deployment, however, lies within member states. A participating country can refuse deployment of their team or assets in certain cases such as domestic emergencies or in cases where it proves to be difficult or close to impossible for the member state to carry out the function, such as war, internal conflict or extreme weather events. As with any international response, the mechanism can only be activated when a country in need requests it. WHO and other U.N. agencies, as well as a limited number of international organizations, can also make the request through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which was established in 2001 to coordinate assistance by all 28 EU member states as well as other European countries that are not part of the Union, such as Iceland and Norway. What talent is needed? The initiative seeks out medical professionals such as physicians, nurses, surgeons and scientists who can be part of mobile laboratories, public health experts with various profiles, and medical assessment and coordination experts. Support staff with experience on technical assistance and engineering capacity support are also welcome. Experienced relief organizations and private operators can participate by liaising with relevant national authorities, often those working under a government’s civil protection and emergency management services. One of the assets committed by the German government to the EMC is a field hospital to be managed by the German Red Cross. The government of Luxembourg, meanwhile, partnered with Luxembourg Air Rescue, a private humanitarian air rescue service, for its offered medical evacuation capacity. Public health expert teams may need to get in touch with a participating member state’s government body assigned to coordinate with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. How to join? The EU’s certification process for teams in the EMC is done jointly with WHO to ensure they meet the agency’s standards for deployment in an emergency setting. Only teams officially endorsed by a country participant to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism are qualified to join and benefit from the financial grants the EU is rolling out for this initiative, such as adaptation grants to those aiming to improve their teams’ international response capacities. Those wishing to undertake extra training and exercises to meet the EU’s certification criteria are also eligible for funding. Certified teams are also eligible for transport grants — for both human resources and equipment — for deployment, though only up to 85 percent of the cost. The EU expects the participating country asking for assistance to shoulder the cost of the team’s daily expenses. Devex Professional Membership means access to the latest buzz, innovations, and lifestyle tips for development, health, sustainability and humanitarian professionals like you. Our mission is to do more good for more people. If you think the right information can make a difference, we invite you to join us by making a small investment in Professional Membership.