Tue Sep 17 05:06:54 UTC 2024: ## NHS medics to train for cholera outbreak in preparation for Gaza and Ukraine deployments

**Worcestershire, UK** – In a simulated exercise on Tuesday, 30 NHS doctors and nurses will face a fictitious cholera outbreak in a remote area of Worcestershire. This training is part of their preparation for potential deployments in Gaza and Ukraine, where infectious disease outbreaks are common.

The exercise, organized by UK-Med, a medical aid charity, will see the medics set up a treatment clinic and race against the clock to treat simulated patients and prevent the disease’s spread. UK-Med, which has two field hospitals in Gaza and has treated over 150,000 people, acts as the UK’s frontline health response to international disasters.

Melanie Johnson, UK-Med’s Deputy Health Director, who recently spent six weeks in Gaza, emphasizes the importance of preparedness. “Infectious disease outbreaks are common in disaster and conflict zones, where health and sanitation infrastructure is damaged,” she said. “It’s crucial that our medics can handle not only traumatic injuries but also the many cases of infectious diseases like scabies, hepatitis A, and respiratory tract infections.”

The exercise will be observed by representatives from an Ethiopian emergency medical team, the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which funds UK-Med’s emergency responses.

Minister of State for Development, Anneliese Dodds, expressed support for the training, stating, “In Gaza and elsewhere, aid workers from across the UK are operating in some of the most dangerous places in the world, treating the most vulnerable. The UK’s official Emergency Medical Team pools medical expertise from across the country to make a real difference in reacting to humanitarian disasters around the globe. The UK government is proud to support their crucial work.”

This training comes after the first confirmed case of mpox in Gaza in 25 years, highlighting the ongoing threat of infectious diseases in conflict zones. The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over mpox, with the UK offering vaccines to thousands of people to boost protection against the virus.

Read More