Solomon Islands Medical Assistance Team and WHO rapidly deploy to support Temotu Province's COVID-19 outbreak response - ISS-G20 Laboratorium Repository

The Solomon Islands faced their first community transmission of COVID-19 in 2022, but Temotu remained the only province to be COVID-19 free in the country. However, in early November 2022, Temotu Province experienced their first locally transmitted case and community transmission of COVID-19. At the peak of the outbreak, Temotu Province saw over 180 daily cases.

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) immediately went into action to address the COVID-19 outbreak in Temotu Province. One of the rapid actions the Ministry undertook, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), was deploying the Solomon Islands Medical Assistance Team (SOLMAT) to help augment the health workforce capacities in the province that was stretched with the response.

SOLMAT, the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) in the Solomon Islands that were trained and supported by WHO, are composed of doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, pharmacists, environmental officers, risk communication specialists, and information and communications technology (ICT) officers. SOLMAT members have been trained to be self-sufficient and rapidly deploy in the event of a health emergency.

The team successfully assisted Temotu Province to contain the outbreak, as well as to mobilize resources, evaluate the surveillance system, assess gaps in 16 health facilities, build staff capacity, deliver risk communication, and catch-up on COVID-19 vaccination in 13 remote villages.

Scroll through the photos below to see how SOLMAT and WHO, with funding from the European Union and the Government of the United States, supported response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Temotu Province. All photos are by WHO/Esther Nuria.

Entire content available on: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news-room/photo-story/photo-story-detail/solomon-islands-medical-assistance-team-and-who-rapidly-deploy-to-support-temotu-province-s-covid-19-outbreak-response