About Us

The International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) is a global membership-based organization promoting high quality emergency medical care for all people.

Our purpose is to promote access to, and lead the development of, the highest quality of emergency medical care for all people across the world. 

IFEM is committed to achieving universal access to high quality emergency medical care, through education and standards, supporting growth of the specialty of emergency medicine in every country, and strong advocacy with governments, global health organizations, and communities. 

Over the past three decades we have grown to include Members from all regions of the world, with more than 70 emergency medicine societies and organizations.

Our Members range from those with highly developed emergency care systems, to those in various stages of development, or just starting out.

Our Member organizations are comprised of clinicians and researchers, academics and administrators, and experts in all facets of emergency care, in all environments, for all ages and types of patients. These individuals work as volunteers for IFEM, dedicated to sharing their expertise, time and commitment to make a positive impact on emergency medical care for all people and communities. 

IFEM’s strong networks and collegial membership provides us with unique insight and reach into health systems globally with the ability to rapidly harness expertise and draw global teams together to work on any project or emergency medical care challenge. 

Download our Brochure

View our Members

Learn more about becoming a Member of IFEM

Definition of Emergency Medicine

Emergency medicine is a field of practice based on the knowledge and skills required for the prevention, diagnosis and management of acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury affecting patients of all age groups with a full spectrum of episodic undifferentiated physical and behavioural disorders; it further encompasses an understanding of the development of prehospital and inhospital emergency medical systems and the skills necessary for this development.

What we do 

IFEM creates a global community in which our Member organizations collaboratively work together to improve emergency care and respond to challenges.  We do this by fostering a diverse and inclusive federation where participants meet and work with colleagues they may not otherwise have the opportunity to meet, gaining perspective on health systems, training and educational needs, and sharing experiences. For more than 30 years IFEM has developed and enhanced: 

• Specialist Emergency Care systems  
• Emergency Medicine Standards  
• High quality training and education throughout the world 

 This work has transformed the emergency care workforce and the delivery of emergency medical care. 

We also provide consultative services, to individuals, governments, health care and other organizations, and support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and others, including guidance on building national emergency medical systems in line with the World Health Assembly Resolution 72.16 (2019). 

 

Our impact 

The World Bank estimates that over half of all deaths and over one third of disability in low and middle-income countries could be mitigated by the implementation of effective emergency care systems. Each year more than a million avoidable deaths arise from motor vehicle collisions alone. Many more millions of avoidable deaths occur from cardiac and respiratory emergencies, maternal and neonatal conditions, infections, poisonings, and medical adverse events. By raising the standard of emergency medical care, we have a major impact on reducing death and disability.