Global Health

Advocacy and bedside care came together on the final morning of SMACC 2019. This report explores violence prevention, climate change and emergency care in Malawi, alongside debates about resuscitation, intubation and the balance between ultrasound technology and clinicians’ skills.

SMACC 2019 opened with patient stories, grief and compassionate communication before moving into bedside critical care. This report covers obstetric emergencies, echocardiography and prehospital trauma debates, showing how the Sydney meeting connected technical decisions with the people receiving care.

What makes overseas healthcare volunteering responsible and useful? Drawing on an EUSEM panel, Stevan Bruijns examines preparation, ethical limits, local partnerships and sustainability. The discussion challenges good intentions alone and considers how clinicians can contribute to global emergency care from home as well as abroad.

This 2018 overview explores HIV in emergency medicine, from assessing exposure and recognising infection to caring for people receiving antiretroviral therapy. It also introduces post-exposure and pre-exposure prophylaxis. The discussion reflects the guidance available at publication and should be read in that historical context.

Claire Bromley reflects on a 2018 medical elective in Cape Town’s emergency department and prehospital services. Alongside clinical learning, she describes the emotional demands of unfamiliar trauma care and the value of debriefing, supportive colleagues and retaining empathy when difficult cases leave a lasting impression.

Written after two imported UK cases in September 2018, this article introduces the infection then described as monkeypox. It reviews transmission, clinical features and the importance of travel history, specialist assessment and infection precautions, reflecting the information and public health context available at that time.