U.S. Army subject matter experts shared first-hand experiences and successes on their collaboration with worldwide host nation partners and allies at the 44th International Committee of Military Medicine World Congress in Brussels, Belgium, from Sept. 5 to 9. The event brought together military and civilian healthcare professionals from 61 countries, emphasizing that medicine has no borders and saving lives on the battlefield is a global responsibility.
The Congress devoted three days to five central themes on military medicine. More than 150 presenters worldwide covered functional areas like medical logistics, nursing and veterinary medicine, mental health and rehabilitation, far forward surgery, and global health.
U.S. Army Col. Bonnie Hartstein talked about combat casualty care advances resulting from a joint initiative in the United Arab Emirates, where she recently served as the director of the U.S. contingent.
"I think our world continues to shrink as we partner together to combat common threats. This conference reinforces how closely aligned our missions and operations are,” Hartstein said. “Much of the work we do in the Army around the world is not visible to everyone. It is a real honor to be here showcasing the work of our team, sharing lessons learned and building the strength of our international partnerships.”
The event encouraged interoperability by combining global communications, information sharing and equipment demonstrations —bolstering an extended network of alliances and partnerships capable of facing the challenges of today and tomorrow.
“Knowledge sharing is important in the world of military medicine,” said Belgian ICMM Secretary General Geert Laire. “More than ever, I am convinced that ICMM has a role to play in that. This Congress reminds us that this is not new. What is new is the rapidly changing world around us and the need to adapt to those changes faster than ever.”
The Congress also reiterated the ongoing collaboration between key leaders in the organization. The ICMM chair, formerly held by Swiss Army Maj. Gen. Andreas Stettbacher, M.D., was handed off to, Dr. David J. Smith, the acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and head of the U.S. delegation at the World Congress.
“The United States is quite pleased to take on the role of the ICMM chair and to further support the mission and vision that the general assembly approved this session,” Smith said.
Future ICMM Congresses will occur both regionally and globally and continue the multinational conversation on global military medicine. The next ICMM World Congress is scheduled to be held in Brisbane, Australia, from Sept. 22-27, 2024.
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