The Republic of Indonesia Defense University (RIDU) is establishing a multi-country training hub for building and strengthening health emergency capacities on operational readiness and emergency medical teams (EMT) with a special focus on ‘bio-defense security’. The Ministry of Defense, Indonesia designated RIDU to host the multi-country training hub. This is the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Indonesia, and the WHO that was signed in Bali, on 15 November 2022 during the G20 summit.
In the South-East Asia Region, Military Emergency Medical Teams play a significant role in domestic response capacities for Health Emergencies. Recent experiences show a lack of integration in coordination methodologies between civil EMTs (typically led by MoH with support by WHO) and Military EMTs (typically led by Ministry of Defense of the affected country). The Association of the South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of the WHO partners in the region. It covers two WHO regions (Western Pacific and South-East Asia). In the area of defense, ASEAN has a Centre of Military Medicine (ACMM). It aims to establish practical, effective, and sustainable cooperation among military medical services of ASEAN Member States in both normal and crisis situations. Among of its strategies, Medical Standards and preparedness activities are the priority.
WHO facilitated a workshop back-to-back with the ACMM meeting that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, 12-13 August 2023. The overall objective of the workshop is to bring together Civil and Military EMT stakeholders from ASEAN Member States to share knowledge and engage in discussion on a range of issues of direct relevance to the humanitarian/emergency response.
Thirty-five representatives from ASEAN Member States (Military Medicine), Ministry of Health Indonesia, Ministry of Defense Indonesia, Surgeon General office of Indonesia Armed Forces, Health Division of Indonesia Police Force, the National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia (BNPB), National Search and Rescue Agency of Indonesia (BASARNAS), Indonesian Red Cross, Indonesia Medical Association, Indonesia Pharmacist Association, MER-C, MDMC, Universitas Indonesia and WHO Indonesia Country Office attended the two-day workshop.
Speakers and facilitators of the workshop were coming from WHO, RIDU, ICRC, UN-OCHA, Ministry of Health Indonesia, Ministry of Defense Indonesia, UK Army Medical Services, Muhammadiyah EMT, and ACMM Secretariat.