Fiji’s emergency medical assistance team – FEMAT – trains to face future crises

Fiji’s tropical location means that, like the rest of the Pacific, it is already prone to disease outbreaks and disasters. However, a changing climate means that the island nation must be ready to face increasing climate-sensitive diseases and super storms in future.

To prepare for the crises which are to come, Fiji’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team – usually known as FEMAT – carried out week-long training from 6 to 11 June 2022. The training was supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was designed to allow the team to practice their response to a large-scale disaster and to expand the number of trained team-members on the roster. This was the third time FEMAT has undergone such training.

Under For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region , WHO’s vision for joint action in the Western Pacific, the Organization is committed to ensuring that the hardest-to-reach can access life-saving health care. This includes people living in remote islands and those affected by emergencies.

Emergency medical teams like FEMAT are essential in providing this care in times of crisis.

Scroll through the photos below to learn more about the recent training and how FEMAT responds to emergencies.

Note that all ‘patients’ shown in the photos below are well and are merely acting.