Emergency medical team coordination management following the 2024 Vanuatu earthquake

On 17 December 2024, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Pacific Island country of Vanuatu, affecting over 80 000 people and causing 14 deaths and 265 injuries. Facing limited specialist clinical capacity, increased patient load and strained facilities, Vanuatu's Ministry of Health requested support from emergency medical teams.

Vanuatu, highly disaster-prone and geographically dispersed, has a health system constrained by limited human resources and recent cyclone-related damage. The country's national emergency medical team, the Vanuatu Medical Assistance Team, was established in 2017 and plays a central role in health emergency response in the country.

Within 24 hours of the earthquake, the Vanuatu Medical Assistance Team was activated and established an Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell within the national health emergency operations centre. National and international emergency medical teams from Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan and New Zealand were deployed over the subsequent weeks and provided clinical, mental health and information management support. The World Health Organization's emergency medical team Minimum Data Set was implemented to monitor health trends and inform response actions.

Eight national and international emergency medical teams deployed alongside local health services. Together, they reported more than 5500 consultations to the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell, and a specialized team provided mental health and psychosocial support to 521 people. Minimum Data Set analysis showed a rapid decline in trauma-related presentations and detected increases in influenza-like illness, guiding the transition from emergency to recovery.

This response underscored the value of emergency medical teams following disasters, the importance of national leadership and coordination, and the significance of regional solidarity and partnerships. It also highlighted the importance of information management during emergencies and demonstrated potential innovations in this space.