Disaster response from Australia: What is the role of Forward Teams?

Summary
• Large scale Australian civilian medical assistance teams were first deployed overseas in 2004.
• The deployment of small Forward Teams in the early phase of a health disaster response allows for informed decisions on whether, and in what form, to deploy larger medical assistance teams.
• The prime consideration is to support the capacity of local services to respond to the specific needs of the affected population.
• In addition, Australian citizens caught up in large numbers in overseas disasters may need health assistance.