Disaster response
Supporting musculoskeletal care in disasters and conflicts
Thanks to support from the AO Strategy Fund, the AO Foundation expands its mission beyond routine clinical settings and supports healthcare professionals working in disaster and conflict zones by providing evidence‑based, practical educational resources.
The AO Foundation is politically neutral and impartial. We do not take sides in conflicts or engage in political, military, or ideological activities.
Our role is strictly medical and educational: to help surgeons, rehabilitation professionals, and medical teams deliver safe, ethical, and effective musculoskeletal care in challenging environments. We do not deliver emergency relief, deploy medical teams, or provide operational humanitarian assistance.
Working in collaboration
The AO Foundation does not act alone in disaster response. Our resources are developed in close collaboration with experienced humanitarian and medical organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, Humanity & Inclusion, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the World Health Organization.
These collaborations ensure that AO resources align with internationally recognized humanitarian standards and are relevant for use by national and international emergency medical teams working in diverse settings.
Management of limb injuries during disasters and conflicts
In disasters, up to 90% of the surgical workload faced by emergency medical teams involves limb injury. The need has never been greater for clear practical guidance for surgical teams to practice safe, effective limb injury care fit for the context of conflict or disaster. The book addresses the full continuum of care, including triage, damage control, fracture management, soft‑tissue injuries, amputations, rehabilitation, and the ethics of healthcare in disasters and conflicts. Additional resources and videos are provided for emergency medical teams working in disaster settings.
Early rehabilitation in conflicts and disasters
Early rehabilitation today is recognized as an integral component of patients’ recovery from traumatic injuries sustained in conflicts and disasters. Rehabilitation professionals working in such settings now have the tools and opportunity to adapt their skills to these challenging environments. The world’s first clinical guide and corresponding suite of e-learning resources developed specifically to support the early rehabilitation of patients injured in disasters and conflicts is freely available for download.
Context‑specific educational support
In response to specific humanitarian crises, the AO Foundation may provide context‑specific educational support, such as translated resources and recorded webinars.These activities are needs‑driven, time‑limited, and focused solely on improving patient care through medical education. They are delivered in collaboration with local experts and international partners.