Natural and manmade disasters are increasing and continue to threaten people in countries with no safety net.
With over 40 years of experience in disaster response, Medical Teams is uniquely poised to rise to these challenges. We are using our greatest strength for one of the world’s greatest needs — loving and life-saving medical care for people in crisis.
Our strategy is built around going where we’re needed most and focusing on the work we do best. In every response, we partner with other organizations and community members to ensure that, together, we’re serving every critical need for people in crisis.
Cyclones, famine, refugee influxes and other crises unleash chaos. When a community’s needs outstrip its ability to respond, people are left to suffer. The hours and days following a sudden disaster are critical for getting medical care to people who urgently need it. Our team continually monitors emerging global disasters — whether natural or manmade — and is prepared to respond.
We go where the health needs are urgent and where our resources can help save lives. We team up with partners on the ground to provide a swift and coordinated response for each crisis.
Some crises create long-lasting health challenges. Infectious diseases like Ebola or COVID-19 devastate health systems. Repeated natural disasters weaken the local ability to respond. Civil war and political turmoil force people into refugee camps for long periods of time.
We respond to long-term crises by providing life-saving medical care, helping rebuild health systems and training locals to care for the health of their neighbors. We believe that restoring health is the first step to restoring hope for people stuck in difficult situations.
Medical Teams takes a three-pronged approach to healing people in crisis: providing medical care, equipping local clinics with training and supplies, and empowering communities to care for themselves long after we’re gone.
People in crisis are dying from preventable and treatable causes. Our staff and volunteers are working to change that by delivering life-saving medical care. We do this by prescribing malaria medication to save the lives of young children. Our frontline staff ensure mothers and babies survive childbirth. They give vaccinations to the vulnerable and emergency nutrition to the malnourished.
When it comes to the unique health needs of a community, it’s the locals who are the experts. We work with local community members to determine the greatest needs and solutions. Then we provide extra training to local medical staff. Our staff make sure clinics and hospitals are stocked with supplies and medicines. We help build connections to and trust in the health system. Our goal is to ensure that health facilities serve patients well long after we’re gone.
We want communities to thrive on their own. The people we serve are creative, committed, and resilient. We build on their strengths by training them to become community health workers. They learn how to seek out their sick neighbors and refer them to care. They teach families about handwashing and good nutrition. They encourage mothers to get prenatal care and give birth in a clinic.
Be the first to hear about the urgent needs of people in crisis, receive special invitations to events, and get updates on what’s happening in the field. Sign up now!