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NORTHWOOD, United Kingdom – The 23rd NATO Maritime Medical Conference, chaired by Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and hosted by Portugal, took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from April 19 to 22. 

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, navy surgeons general and other senior medical personnel from 20 NATO countries attended this unique NATO forum to discuss important matters within naval medicine.

"It was with joy that we could have the maritime medical community together again, after such a stressful period posed by the pandemic," said Italian Navy Captain Paolo Delato, medical advisor to MARCOM and chair of the NATO Maritime Medical Conference. "Maintaining and expanding our network is of great importance".

This conference contributed decisively to deepen our knowledge sharing across the community, facilitating an increase in cooperation in the most diverse areas of maritime medical support

The theme for this year's event was "Reinvigorating Maritime medical Support in a Prolonged COVID-19 Environment." The participating countries provided multinational perspectives on medical support planning, including current challenges and future innovation.

Participants reiterated the importance of cooperation and exchange of experiences across the maritime medical community, keeping the focus on medical care for sailors at sea.

Headquartered in Northwood, MARCOM is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the MARCOM Commander is the primary maritime advisor to the Alliance. Like its land and air counterparts (LANDCOM and AIRCOM), MARCOM reports directly to NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO), which is located in Mons, Belgium.