Reliable health data before, during and after emergencies and disasters are essential for evidence-based policies and programs. However, standardization of health data collection and reporting was a historical challenge for the medical team dispatched to emergency areas.

The WHO Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Minimum Data Set (MDS) was established in 2017, and has been applied in different health emergencies and disasters as a common health data collection tool.

Summarize the findings from analyzing the health data collected by the EMT MDS in emergencies and disasters since 2018

The WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre (WKC)) supported and jointly conducted a research project to synthesize the existing knowledge and analyze case studies on the application of the WHO EMT MDS. The study was led by Hiroshima University and collaborated with WHO EMT and multinational research institutes.

The research project demonstrated the function and value of the EMT MDS to timely collect analyzable data that enables decision makers to understand the health needs of affected areas, and conduct data-based resource allocation. Multiple barriers and facilitating factors for successful application of the tool were also identified. In addition, several new findings on early onset of mental health problems and other related matters were identified.

EMT MDS is now used as a common health data collection tool in emergencies and disasters. Accumulated data from different emergencies and disasters will support building robust scientific evidence to better protect people from emergencies and disasters.