At the 14th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health, or ECTMIH for short, military medical services from Belgium and Germany exchanged ideas on the topics of prevention, health monitoring and patient management from 29 September to 2 October 2025.
The symposium at the Bundeswehr Hospital in Hamburg focused on current research findings and experiences in tropical and infectious medicine – topics that are relevant far beyond foreign missions.
While tropical medicine used to be associated primarily with distant countries of operation, experts today speak of infectious medicine in all climate zones. There are many reasons for this. Globalisation, worldwide travel and climate change, which open up new habitats for pathogens and carriers, all play a role. Soldiers can become infected with infectious diseases anywhere – whether in Mali, Lithuania or during exercises in Germany.
Prevention is crucial in scenarios involving national and alliance defence, as well as in foreign missions where resources may be scarce and medical care limited. The Bundeswehr relies on both population-based preventive medicine and individualised medicine. Every person has different health conditions, which is why prevention and treatment must always be tailored to the individual – from vaccinations and hygiene to targeted education and training about risks.
The full article (in German) can be found at: Symposium: Tropical medicine remains a key competence
Source: PIZ Unterstützung
