On 2 and 3 December 2024, the team of the German National Focal Point for Emergency Medical Teams (EMT NFP), based in the RKI unit ZIG 3, hosted the annual ‘EMT Stakeholder Meeting’ in Berlin. It brought together the German EMT organisations for exchanges with each other, their network partners and the relevant federal ministries. The focus was on current strategic and operational topics, which, in addition to the operational cooperation between the German EMT organisations, also included their integration into the national crisis response structures. In addition, the EMTs discussed challenges in the procurement of medication, the subject of joint deployments, and their joint training and exercise activities.

The German aid organisations represented included the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, CADUS e.V., the German Red Cross, humedica, I.S.A.R. Germany, Johanniter, Malteser International and Medizinisches Katastrophen-Hilfswerk. The group was joined by associated network partners such as Pharmacists without Borders, Samaritans Austria, RescueNet and Dental Emergency Team.

The discussion with the ministries, including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, focused on the following topics: expanding the contribution of EMTs to national health security, improving support for volunteer EMT experts and increasing the participation of German EMTs in the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. In a further exchange, e.g. in working groups, the topics are now to be addressed in greater detail with the involvement of other national and international actors.

In additional rounds with the RKI unit ZIG 4 (Public Health Laboratory Support) and representatives of the French Institut Pasteur, the EMTs also discussed joint deployments with mobile diagnostic laboratories. These consultations were related to the planning efforts to establish a German outbreak response capacity.

The team of the National Focal Point for the German EMTs at the RKI's Centre for International Health Protection plays an important facilitating and coordinating role in its function as interface between the various stakeholders. The very open and constructive discussions led to a number of concrete results and next steps that will further deepen the cooperation of the German EMTs in and between deployments.