Ethiopia Becomes First Civilian Emergency Medical Team in Africa to Achieve WHO Classification

#EBR_News Sep 16, 2026

Ethiopia has achieved WHO verification of its National Emergency Medical Team, positioning the country as the first civilian Emergency Medical Team in the WHO African Region to attain international WHO classification, alongside Senegal’s classified military EMT, according to a WHO news release dated September 15, 2026.

According to WHO, the verification confirms that the Ethiopian National EMT meets internationally recognised standards for quality, readiness, deployment capacity, and emergency medical response.

The team underwent a rigorous verification process covering governance, clinical services, logistics, information management, infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene, and operational readiness.

WHO said earlier pre-verification and simulation exercises demonstrated the team’s ability to establish and operate a fully functional field hospital and respond to complex public health emergencies.

Ethiopian Health Minister Mekdes Daba said the achievement demonstrates the country’s readiness to protect communities when emergencies strike. “We are prepared, we are committed, and we are ready,” Mekdes said, according to the release.

Mesay Hailu, Director General of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, said the classification is “not a recognition we claim for ourselves, but one earned through rigorous and independent international verification.”

WHO said the milestone comes as 30 African countries are currently developing national EMT capacities, supported by the Regional Framework on Emergency Medical Teams 2026–2030, adopted during the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Addis Ababa in August 2026.

According to WHO, the Ethiopian National EMT has already been deployed domestically, including mobilisation during the Gamo Zone landslide response and contributions to preparedness and response efforts for emerging disease outbreaks.

The release noted that WHO recognised the contributions of UK-Med, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and other EMT Network partners, mentors, and donors that supported Ethiopia’s EMT development.

WHO said the Regional EMT Training and Knowledge Hub in Addis Ababa, established through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ethiopian government and WHO, has supported training and simulation exercises and now serves as a regional platform to strengthen EMT capacities across Africa.

The classification comes ahead of the 7th Global Emergency Medical Teams Meeting, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa from November 3 to 5, 2026, marking the first time the global EMT gathering will be hosted in the WHO African Region, according to WHO.

Francis Chisaka Kasolo, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, said the achievement reflects what can be built through national leadership, sustained investment, and strong partnerships.