14 October 2024
The Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force, Rear Admiral Sonya Bennett, has taken centre stage as the first female chair of the World Congress of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM).
More than 1400 delegates from more than 70 countries attended the congress in Brisbane. The theme was ‘Military Medicine Shaping Global Health’, reinforcing the ICMM vision of sharing medical knowledge beyond geographical and ideological borders.
Rear Admiral Bennett said it was an honour for Australia to host military colleagues from around the globe at the 45th World Congress.
“The congress is an opportunity to learn from internationally renowned researchers and experts," Rear Admiral Bennett said.
“The exchange of evidence-based information enhances the delivery of high-quality healthcare to our people, maintaining individual health and wellbeing and enabling force generation.”
'Civilian and military joint planning and preparedness for large-scale mass casualty events, including those associated with combat, is fundamental to achieving the best health outcomes for our people.'
Topics included military-civilian health integration; burns and trauma management; veteran transition and support; rehabilitation; suicide prevention mental health; low-level blast and traumatic brain injury and military medical ethics.
Military medicine has a long history of delivering healthcare advancements and innovations that have benefited military and civilian health-care systems.
“COVID-19 taught us that the military is critical in supporting a public health emergency response. Likewise, civilian and military joint planning and preparedness for large-scale mass casualty events, including those associated with combat, is fundamental to achieving the best health outcomes for our people,” Rear Admiral Bennett said.
The application of advanced medicine in modern conflicts presents common challenges, including workforce, logistics, and the associated regulatory conditions and in-casualty evacuation.
The congress provided opportunities to discuss preparedness and mitigating strategies for future challenges. Sharing learnings from international partners’ unique professional and personal experiences enables the ADF to enhance its own own health practices and processes to enhance the wellbeing of personnel.
Rear Admiral Bennett was the first female to chair the congress since its establishment in 1921 and will be the chair for two years.
This is the first time the conference has been held in the southern hemisphere. The next iteration of World Congress will be held in United Arab Emirates, in 2026.
