The speed and quality of medical care during an emergency are critical. Yet, many African countries lack permanent, self-sufficient medical teams that can rapidly deploy to save lives and maintain essential health services.

African health ministers are addressing this by adopting the Regional framework on emergency medical teams, 2026–2030, at the Seventy-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. Member States have committed to establishing at least one functional national emergency medical team in every country by 2030. This marks a collective commitment to build nationally led, sustainably financed, and quality-assured teams integrated into national emergency response systems.

This decision comes as the Region faces over 100 significant public health events annually, including disease outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and humanitarian crises, often exacerbated by conflict, displacement, and fragile health systems. It signifies a decisive shift towards permanent national teams that are trained, tested, and ready to deploy.

“This framework marks a shift from reaction to readiness. Strong national medical teams will save lives, protect essential services and strengthen health security across Africa,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Emergency medical teams comprise clinical, public health, and operational professionals who can rapidly reinforce health services. They require clear leadership, standardized procedures, adequate medical equipment, and effective infection prevention and control, patient referral, and health information systems.

Since the initiative launched in the Region in 2017, WHO has helped countries develop national capacity. Thirty Member States have completed awareness activities, over 26 have advanced to structured training, and national teams have undertaken more than 46 deployments, including two outside the Region. Between 2017 and December 2025, 29 international teams were also deployed at the request of 32 Member States, with three-quarters responding to disease outbreaks.

WHO has developed a ten-step pathway covering a team's full life cycle, from governance and recruitment to training, logistics, deployment, and after-deployment learning. It has also established a regional training and simulation hub in Addis Ababa and supported readiness assessments, simulations, deployments, validation, and classification, helping countries move from planning to trained and deployable teams.

“Preparedness means having trained, equipped and self-sufficient teams ready to deploy when they are needed most,” said Dr Marie-Roseline Darnycka Belizaire, Regional Emergency Director.

However, progress remains uneven. Only seven countries have teams demonstrating advanced operational readiness or alignment with WHO minimum standards, while Senegal has the Region's only internationally classified team. About 80% of operational national teams remain project-based or externally supported, hindering personnel retention, equipment maintenance, and readiness between emergencies.

The framework calls on governments to anchor teams within ministries of health, national public health institutes, emergency operations centers, and incident management systems.

Countries will establish accountable governance structures, multidisciplinary rosters, rapid activation procedures, and dedicated financing, while investing in standardized equipment, deployable infrastructure, simulations, and self-sufficient logistics. These arrangements must protect routine health services and the physical and psychosocial well-being of responders.

Quality, equity, and accountability are integral to the framework. Countries will assess readiness, address gaps, and pursue WHO validation or classification. Emergency care must protect dignity and meet the needs of vulnerable people, while cross-border agreements, joint exercises, and One Health coordination will enable faster regional assistance.

By 2028, at least 80% of Member States should have governance mechanisms and integrated teams, while at least half should have initiated or achieved progressive validation. By 2030, every country should have at least one operational team, and at least 80% should have teams validated or classified against WHO standards.

With the framework adopted, the Region enters a new phase of national action. By securing sustainable financing, building the workforce, and maintaining trained, equipped, and deployable teams, countries can ensure life-saving medical care is accessible when the next emergency occurs.