WADEM Toronto 2017（2017/4/25-28）
Topics: Improving global prehospital and emergency health care, public health, and disaster health andpreparedness
Venue：Westin Harbor Castle Toronto（Toronto, Canada）

From Apr. 25-28, Prof. Shinichi Egawa of IRIDeS attended the World Association for Disasterand Emergency Medicine (WADEM) Toronto 2017.
WADEM plays a key role in education, research and network building and its biennial
international Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine provides a stimulating and interactive
environment to present research and findings, exchange ideas and best practices, and networkwith colleagues. The first WADEM Congress started in 1976 and Toronto 2017 is its 21st. More than
900 participants from more than 60 countries has attended. WADEM Toronto 2017 added new
aspects such as Pharmacy, Situational Awareness, Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare,French Program, Emergency Department Overcrowding and Access to Care, and Emergency
Radiology.
WADEM have included the World Health Organization, US National Library of Medicine,Evidence Aid, Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa, Chinese Emergency Medicine Society,and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Congresses to promote the cooperation andcoordination.
Prof. Shinichi Egawa presented the research outcome of system dynamics simulation for themedical needs after disaster. Dr. Julie Hall in International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent had also shown the complexity of medical needs after Typhoon Haiyan (Last two pictures).
Prof. Shinichi Egawa joined the “finding common ground” meeting by WADEM together withWHO, various national disaster medical associations, military responders, NGOs, academia
focusing on the mental health of responders before, during and after deployment and civil military
cooperation.
The biannual congress of WADEM enables various aspect of health in disasters. As English andFrench are the official languages in Canada, French session gathered additional audiences. Not
only sharing the lessons learned, but to promote the evidence based practices, research andpublication are fundamental com ponent of WADEM. Trans- and interdisciplinary cooperation andcoordination are also vital.
WADEM aims the capacity building for all hazards. To respond natural, biological, chemical,radiological and nuclear hazards and explosions effectively. Terrorism, active shooting and mass
gathering are the very important points in discussion. They may not be familiar with many of natural
disaster scientists, but its unpredictability and global increase does not arrow us to be unprepared.
Preparation and prevention is even important DRR approach to such man-made hazard.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction became fundamental framework in disastermedicine. We should be proud. The next meeting will be held in Brisbane in 2019. It is notdesignated yet, but the Tokyo is the strong candidate for 2021 meeting. President of WADEM will
be in Platform in Cancun, Mexico in May 2017 to promote the prioritization of health in DRR. IRIDeS
can contribute a lot!
Shinichi Egawa（Disaster Medical Science Division）(continues to the next page)WHO-WADEM joint panel discussion forMore than 900 participants from over

implementation of Sendai Framework

60 countries listens carefully

WADEM awarded the presidential award to
Jonathan Abrahams, WHO Geneva,
for his contribution.

Frederick “Skip” Burkle Award wasestablished appraising his being “everywhere”

Dr. Julie Hall from International Federation ofRed Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Prof. Shinichi Egawa’s model of medical

showing the complex medical needs

needs robustly simulate the medical needs

after disaster