The role of the military in disaster response: Evolving disaster medicine and global health initiatives

The increased frequency of large-scale disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies has raised concerns as well as opportunities in fostering civil-military dialogue. The main focus of humanitarian health must be the beneficiary, who should be involved if feasible in what aid is needed and from what source. The reports on the role of the military in disaster response from the 2011 World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine provide numerous options for coordination, best practices, research and policy that provide new insights into this complex issue. The common threads of reports indicate a growing need to force dialogue in order to ensure best practices based on the situations on the ground and shared resources for the common good. Examples of shared public health, preventive medicine and military teams have been successful, as have joint training courses. Dialogue and debate for all health providers are more crucial today, as movements to establish accreditation and accountability of providers is becoming a reality.