The year 2025 marked a major milestone for the Republic of Moldova’s emergency care programme with the country’s expansion of workforce training outside the health system to ensure the implementation of the chain of survival. With support from WHO and the Government of Switzerland, more than 700 staff from the internal affairs sector, including police officers, firefighters and medical responders, acquired life-saving first aid and emergency care knowledge and skills through innovative simulation-based learning.
Despite intense pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, energy crises and the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova has continued to play a critical role in supporting refugees and preparing for potential humanitarian crises.
In 2025, the Republic of Moldova extended its capacity-building efforts beyond the health sector. In collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), WHO delivered emergency care training to medical staff, police officers, border police officers and firefighters – all of whom are often among the first to respond to emergencies and disasters.
At-scene care, defined by WHO as the first step of a patient’s journey through the emergency care system, is crucial to patients’ survival in acute medical conditions. Strengthening the skills of first responders significantly increases the patients’ chance of survival.
WHO and national experts delivered four major training packages to different professional groups: First Aid, Basic Emergency Care, Basic Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
“The integrated training approach combines theory with hands-on simulations, strengthening real-time decision-making under pressure,” said Mariana Hajdeu, police officer from the Telenesti Police Inspectorate.
Non-medical participants learned to provide high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use automated defibrillators and stabilize trauma patients before the arrival of medical teams. Medical staff, in addition to basic training, completed advanced trauma courses that will enable them to apply modern standards of trauma care both in medical facilities and during patient evacuation.
The trainings were delivered by WHO in partnership with national professional societies for emergency medicine, critical care and simualtion medicine, and the Red Cross Society of the Republic of Moldova.
“Enhanced emergency response strengthens health security locally and nationally by improving resilience and by enabling a faster and safer response,” said Dr Miljana Grbic, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova.
“Every second counts in our missions. Through these courses, MIA employees learn to provide first aid before medics arrive at scene. This programme reflects our commitment to protecting our population from the impact of crises. I am grateful to WHO and all partners involved,” concluded Daniella Misail-Nichitin, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
The initiative is part of a broader project to strengthen the emergency care system in the Republic of Moldova, financed by the Government of Switzerland through the CARE4Living Project. WHO and the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova partnered with the Ministry of Health and MIA to reinforce the quality and timeliness of acute care services, developing the Republic of Moldova’s resilience to both routine emergencies and large-scale public health events.
Looking ahead, there are plans to expand training to rural and underserved areas, strengthen national trainer capacity and integrate emergency care into existing curricula. In anticipation and to ensure long-term sustainability, WHO has developed a pool of trainers among the MIA personnel and is planning to support the Ministry with a rollout of its own training in 2026.