Ethiopia’s emergency medical response system and what other countries can learn from it

By Boniface Oyugi*

Ethiopia has built a national emergency medical team and hosts Africa’s first World Health Organization (WHO)-certified regional training hub. It offers a robust, African-led model for strengthening health emergency response systems across the continent.

The Conversation Africa asked Boniface Oyugi, who has researched the emergence of this medical team and regional centre, what other African countries can learn from Ethiopia’s experience.

What is Ethiopia doing to build emergency services?

Ethiopia, a diverse and populous nation of 126.5 million people (2023), faces humanitarian challenges driven by climatic shocks, conflict and food insecurity. Flooding, too, has displaced families and increased the risk of waterborne diseases.

All these make emergency medical response vital for saving lives and reducing suffering. The country has invested in national capacity and continental readiness, making it a leader in emergency medical preparedness. It has also transformed short-term crisis solutions into lasting, life-saving health system assets.

First, Ethiopia established the National Emergency Medical Team, building on the National Disaster Medical Assistance Team launched in 2018. While the latter was an important first step, it faced several challenges. These included weak standard operating procedures, poor coordination, limited stakeholder engagement, unclear leadership structures, and overstretched personnel.

The new emergency medical team was designed to meet global standards and address these gaps. It introduced clear operational guidelines, improved strategic planning, mobilised essential resources, and recruited experienced professionals. This created a stronger, more efficient and better-prepared emergency response system.

The team is the first of its kind in the WHO African Region covering 47 countries. It can quickly attend to disasters, disease outbreaks and other humanitarian crises. It has trained health professionals in mobile units. They operate with clear command systems, standardised procedures, and strong logistics to ensure readiness within 72 hours. Already, the team has been deployed in major emergencies like the Tigray conflict, mass displacement in Amhara, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2021, Ethiopia partnered with the WHO to create Africa’s first WHO Emergency Medical Team Training Centre. It repurposed a COVID-19 field hospital in Addis Ababa to offer advanced simulation-based training for emergency medical teams across Africa. The training focuses on real-time emergency scenarios, command systems and cross-functional coordination. It uses a “train-the-trainer” approach, helping countries develop their own national teams which will be able to work together regionally.

What are the lessons learnt?

Ethiopia’s experience shows that emergency preparedness is not only about responding to crises. It is also about building systems, providing support and learning through action.

First, preparedness requires institutional integration and political commitment. Ethiopia’s success was anchored in strong political will, integration with the health ministry, and full government ownership. Embedding the team within national health systems, backed by sustained political support, was critical for sustainability and rapid deployment. Experience from the 2022 deployment of Ethiopia’s team to drought-affected Gode in the Somali Region showed that logistics, human resources and protocols must be in place well before a crisis.

Second, coordination is essential. Deployments during conflicts and outbreaks demonstrated the need for unified command structures, clear communication and synchronised operations. Teams must work with local health bureaus, the military and humanitarian partners.

Third, psychosocial support and team safety are vital. Responders often faced emotional fatigue and post-deployment stress, especially in high-risk areas like Tigray. Mental health services, debriefings and psychological care helped safeguard staff well-being.

Fourth, the training centre showed the value of adaptive infrastructure. It turned a COVID-19 field hospital into a regional hub. This saved costs and sped up capacity building. Hands-on training, where trainees practise by responding to lifelike emergency scenarios, proved to be much more effective than just classroom lectures. These realistic exercises gave participants confidence and improved teamwork.

Monitoring, evaluation and knowledge sharing were valuable. Regular feedback from trainees, use of standard checklists, and documentation of lessons all contributed to improvement.

Despite Ethiopia’s progress, gaps remain in:

mental health support for responders
sustained funding and integration across all regional states
interoperability between sectors, especially civil-military-humanitarian coordination.

Why does it matter to have this capability?

Having a functional and ready emergency medical team is necessary for national and regional health security.

First, in crises, whether pandemics, conflicts, mass displacements or disease outbreaks, time is life. The team can reach affected populations quickly. Lives could be saved and public health threats contained. This speed also reduces reliance on foreign aid.

Second, it strengthens the wider health system. The team requires strong coordination, logistics, data management and skilled human resources. Thus, investments in it also improve the overall health infrastructure and workforce.

Third, Ethiopia’s emergency medical training centre turns national progress into a regional asset. Ethiopia not only strengthens its own systems but also prepares personnel in other countries.