We are an interdisciplinary research group in global disaster medicine. Our work involves research, teaching, policy advice, external monitoring, and on missions in disasters. Our aim is to contribute to strengthening and improving Swedish and international health care response in the event of major disasters. We are a research centre, appointed by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, and became a WHO Collaborating Centre in 2017.
Photo: Johan von SchreebA disaster is defined by a lack of resources: lack of staff, lack of skill, lack of material and lack of time. Our research concerns the challenge of how we, despite this lack of resources, can provide optimal health care. Our team members' research include projects projects on needs assessment, Emergency Medical Teams, moral stress, systems thinking in health systems, health system resilience and more.
Photo: Åsa SvenssonWe teach a range of different courses in the field of global disaster medicine, and are one of three partners in the Erasmus Mundus Master programme Public Health in Disasters. Moreover, we conduct professional training courses in collaboration with humanitarian organisations and public authorities, and we have developed the simulation tools AnTriEx (Analogue Triage Exercise) and ViTriEx (Virtual Triage Exercise).
Photo: Åsa SvenssonBased on research our in disaster medicine and experience of working in disasters, we provide policy support, expertise and knowledge support. We conduct analyses, monitoring and offer expert advice and evaluations in Sweden and abroad. We are a research centre (kunskapscentrum) appointed by the National Board of Health and Welfare, we are part of the IPA Care project, and we collaborate with the WHO, in particular related to the Emergency Medical Teams initiative.
At Global Disaster Medicine - Health Needs and Response we conduct a wide range of research in the field of disaster medicine. We also teach extensively on the subject, through several courses and our Erasmus Mundus Master programme.
In addition to our research and teaching, we also provide policy advice, expertise and knowledge support in global disaster medicine. We do this with the aim of ensuring that research-based knowledge and experience inform decisions and activities in the field.
We do what we do on a basis of knowledge and proven experience from global disasters and our group members frequently draw on their experience of working in disaster-stricken areas in their academic work.
In everything we do, our aim is to generate new knowledge and contribute to improved health interventions in disasters and health crises. We want to contribute our expertise during disasters and health crises as well as in preparedness and assessment of them.
Centre for Health Crises - We collaborate with the Centre for Health Crises, which was established at Karolinska Institutet in the summer 2021, not least in the development of courses and trainings. The Centre for Health Crises is an interdisciplinary centre, with a broad focus on health crisis management and preparedness in a Swedish context. Our research group leader, professor Johan von Schreeb, is also the director of the Centre for Health Crises.
Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - Our collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières goes back a long time. Johan von Schreeb co-founded the Swedish section of the organisation in 1993. He has also been the chairperson of the section and worked in several international missions over the years. Our research specialist, Anneli Eriksson, has also been the chairperson of the Swedish section. Several of our group members, such as Märit Halmin and Martina Gustavsson work on missions with MSF regularly.
We also co-operate with MSF on education, in particular the course Health Assistance in Humanitarian Crisis. Many of our PhD students have conducted their sub-studies on the ground in humanitarian projects, in collaboration with MSF.
World Health Organization - we were designated a WHO Collaborating Centre in 2017. We also collaborate with the WHO Europe Office in our role in the IPA Care project, and we research and advise on the WHO EMT initiative.
UK-Med - we have ongoing research collaborations on the impact of conflict on health and access to care, some of which are carried out partly on the ground in UK-MED projects in conflict and disaster areas. In addition, we second expertise to UK-MED projects.
Swedish National Council in Disaster Medicine - is a network that we co-founded that brings together people from the seven Swedish research centres in disaster medicine, which are funded by the National Board of Health and Welfare. The purpose of the network is to share research results and experiences, and to strengthen national collaboration within disaster medicine.
University of Piemonte (CRIMEDIN) – we collaborate on matters related to the EMT initiative and other joint research and policy projects.
University of Nicosia – we run the Erasmus Mundus Master's programme Public health in disasters together.
University of Oviedo – we run the Erasmus Mundus Master's programme Public health in disasters together.
Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies
Systems Thinking Accelerator (SYSTAC) network
Global Disaster Medicine - Health Needs and Response was founded in 2002 (until October 2023 we were called The Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters and were part of the research group Health Systems and Policy).
We have always been a part of the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet. The department is an international and interdisciplinary environment, home to a copious amount of research on many aspects of global public health.
Our research group leader Johan von Schreeb; professor of disaster medicine at Karolinska Institutet, has over 30 years of experience working in disaster areas. He has led the group since its foundation. His PhD was supervised by the renowned professor of international health at Karolinska Institutet, Hans Rosling.
Assistant senior physician in emergency care and medical director of the intensive care unit at the New Karolinska Hospital (NKS), PhD student in the research group 
Global Disaster Medicine – Hea
Research assistant in the research group Global Disaster Medicine – Health Needs and Response 
at the Department of Global Public Health).
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health, floor 3, the Widerströmska building, Tomtebodavägen 18, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
Here is a selection of recent articles, interviews and other participation in the media, (published online on external websites) that our researchers or staff has featured in, as well as a selection of recent opinion pieces they have written:
Articles, interviews and other media participation
Opinion pieces
