18th War and Disaster Medicine Conference

PROGRAMME (DECEMBER 04)

Conference day is moderated by Mr Andres Kuusk (EST)

08.30–09.30

Registration, welcome coffee

09.30–09.45

Welcome and introduction – Captain Johan-Elias Seljamaa, Head of the Estonian Military Academy (EST) & Mrs Birgit Lao, Estonian Health Board director general (EST)

09.45–10.05

About General Situational Awareness in a Rapidly Changing World – Mr Priit Saar, Government Office's National Security and Defence Coordination Unit's National Security and Defence Coordination Deputy Director (EST)

10.05–12.00

Workshops and EXPO

12.00–13.15

Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parallel session (Jakob Hurt hall)

 

Clinical presentations I

Moderator Dr Kaspar Tootsi (EST)

11.00–11.20

Damage Control to Limb Trauma in Times of Conflict – Dr Ville Vänni (FIN) 

11.20–11.40

More Than First Aid: How Early Burn Care Shapes Recovery – Carey Lamphier, BSN, RN (USA)  

11.40–12.00

 

Ongoing Challenges in Emergency Preparedness in Limited Resources – Prof Maeyane Stephens Moeng (SA) 

12.00–13.00

 

Lunch

The parallel session continues in the Jakob Hurt Hall

Clinical presentations II

13.00–13.20

 

Extending Hospital Capabilities to the Field: The Role of Emergency Response Teams – Dr Elizabeth Robinson Benjamin, MD, PhD (USA) 

13.20–13.40

 

Mitigating The Walker Dip: Harmonizing Military and Civilian Trauma Training to Optimize Readiness and Outcome – Dr Lydia Lam, MD, FACS (USA)  

13.40–14.00

 

Updates in Burn Care – Prof Laura S. Johnson, MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM (USA)

14.00–14.20

 

Benchmarking the Resilience of the Estonian Trauma System for a High-Intensity Conflict Scenario – Prof Peep Talving (EST)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I session

MEDICAL ETHICS AND THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK DURING WARTIME

13.15–13.35

The Distinctive Emblem - Its Use, Misuse and Effectiveness - a Qualitative Study Amongst Representatives of NATO nations – Dr Charles Beardmore (UK)  

13.35–13.55

Making Ethical Decisions in Military Healthcare – Lieutenant General (Rtd) Professor Martin Charles Marshall Bricknell, CB, OStJ, PhD, DM (UK)

13.55–14.15

Day After: Building Resilient Leaders for Crisis and Conflict – Colonel Tracy Michael, Commander of the 68th Theater Medical Command (USA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

II session

ONGOING WARS AND CONFLICTS I

14.15–14.35

Lessons from Syria and Beyond – Dr Hamza al-Kateab (SY)

14.35–14.55

Wartime Surgery: Experience in Conflicts Zones and Austere Scenarios – Dr Carlos Ferreira (POR) online

14.55–15.15

Children in Conflict Zones: Reflections on the Gaza Conflict – Dr Michael Falk, MD FAAP, FRCP(C) (USA)  

15.15–15.45

Coffee break

 

 

III session

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK DURING WARTIME 

15.45–16.05

Medical Status in Law of Armed Conflict – Major Leenu Org (EST)

16.05–16.20

Introduction of the film "For Sama" and an interview with Hamza al-Kateab

16.30–18.30

Movie "FOR SAMA" screening & discussion (Jakob Hurt hall) only for on-site participants

 

 

 

PROGRAMME (DECEMBER 05)

Conference day is moderated by Mr Andres Kuusk (EST)

08.30–09.30

Registration, EXPO, welcome coffee

09.30–09.40

Opening and welcome – Moderaator Mr Andres Kuusk (EST) 

 

 

IV session

COORDINATION AND PREPAREDNESS FOR CRISES I

09.40–09.55

Experiences from the TERVEX 2025 Crisis Excercise – from the Ambulance Perspective – Kaarel Lehtoja (EST)

09.55–10.10

Experiences from the TERVEX 2025 Crisis Excercise – from the Hospital Perspective – Dr Kaarel Uba, emergency medicine doctor and educator (EST)

10.10–10.40

First Aid in Conditions of Full-Scale Invasion – Mrs Nadiia Iamnenko, emergency response service of URCS (UA) & Mr Leonid Melnikov (UA) online

10.40–11.00

CIV-MIL Leadership and Cooperation in Crises and Conflict – Major General (Rtd) Professor Tim Hodgetts (UK) online

11.00–11.20

On the Continuity of Healthcare – Mr Andras Armväärt, Head of Estonian Health Board Health Crisis Preparedness Department (EST) 

11.20–11.40

Health Under Attack in Wars and Conflicts: How Can We Better Protect the Health Mission? – Mr Guillaume Simonian, WHO (FRA) online

11.40–12.40

Lunch

 

 

V session

 

12.40–13.10

Minimising Deaths and Suffering from Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Conflict Driven Humanitarian Emergencies– Dr Richard Allan (UK)

13.10–13.40

Conscription in Six European Countries: Comparative Perspective – Dr Eleri Lillemäe (EST) 

13.40–14.25

Coffee break & EXPO

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI session

ONGOING WARS AND CONFLICTS II

14.25–14.50

The Experience of MEDEVAC “Hospital Trains” in War: the Example of the Crisis in Ukraine – Dr Marcela Allheimen (ARG)

14.50–15.10

Experience in Organizing an Underground Role 2 – Lieutenant Colonel Ievgenii Antoniuk (UA) online

15.10–15.30

Silent Frontlines: Defending Medical Ethics in PRCS Ambulance Operations During War and Crisis – Mr Ibrahim Ghouleh (PSE) online

15.30–15.50

Awards of the Agile Sparrow Challenge

15.50

Summary and conclusion – Mr Taavet Reimers, Estonian Health Board's Deputy Director General (EST) and Mrs Neve Vendt, Head of the War and Disaster Medicine Centre of the Estonian Military Academy (EST)

 

The programmes may be subjects to change without prior notice.

 

WORKSHOPS

1) Precourse “Pediatric Trauma”

2) Precourse "Management of Burns Trauma Patient"

3) Workshop on military healthcare ethics

4) Resource-Efficient Patient Care: Monitoring Solutions in the Evacuation Process (Corpuls)

5) Carbon Man Live: High-Fidelity Skills Training Workshop (Semetron)

6) Adaptive Support Ventilation (ASV) - when to implement, why it benefits, how to apply?

7) Agile Sparrow -  a high-energy trauma management challenge taking place during the conference. Each participating pair will be given a set of equipment and a designated casualty — and then the clock starts ticking. Complex conditions, pressure, and unexpected twists will push both skills and teamwork to the limit. The top performers will be invited on stage at the end of the conference to receive recognition, glory, and a well-earned prize. Registration takes place on site during the conference.