Historically, medical matters within NATO were regarded strictly as a national responsibility. For the greatest part of the Alliance’s existence, there was therefore no requirement for the establishment of a high-level military medical authority within NATO.

New NATO missions and concepts of operations place increased emphasis on joint military operations, enhancing the importance of coordination of medical support in peacekeeping, disaster relief and humanitarian operations. COMEDS was established in 1994 for that purpose. The chairman and the secretary of the Committee are provided by Belgium, and the Secretariat is located within the Belgian Surgeon General’s Office in Brussels. A COMEDS liaison staff officer has been appointed within the Logistics, Armaments and Resources Division of the International Military Staff.

Comprised of the surgeons general of the Alliance member countries plus the medical advisers of the NATO Strategic Commands, a representative of the NATO Standardization Agency, the chairman of the Joint Medical Committee, a representative of the Military Committee, and a representative of the International Military Staff, COMEDS meets biannually in plenary session and reports annually to the Military Committee. From 2001, the surgeons general of Partner countries have been invited to participate in the COMEDS Plenary Meeting in Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council format.

COMEDS’ objectives include improving and expanding arrangements between member countries for coordination, standardisation and interoperability in the medical field and improving the exchange of information relating to organisational, operational and procedural aspects of military medical services in NATO and Partner countries.

Since 1997, Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries have been invited to participate fully in the work of most COMEDS working groups, and since 1996, in the annual COMEDS/PfP medical seminar which has been incorporated into COMEDS plenary meetings. In 2001, COMEDS set up a Standing Group of Partner Medical Experts to address medical assets and capabilities, PfP goals and medical pre-arrangements in cooperation with the Strategic Commanders.

The work of COMEDS is coordinated with other NATO bodies with responsibilities in the medical field, including the NATO Standardization Agency, the Joint Medical Committee, the Medical Advisers of the NATO Strategic Commanders, the Human Factors and Medicine Panel of the Research and Technology Organisation and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Centre.

To assist in carrying out its tasks and in addition to the bodies referred to above, COMEDS has a number of subordinate working groups which meet at least annually and address the following topics:

• military medical structures,
• operations and procedures;
• military preventive medicine;
• emergency medicine;
• military psychiatry;
• dental services;
• medical materiel and military pharmacy;
• food hygiene, food technology, and veterinary medicine;
• medical training;
• medical information management systems.

An Ad Hoc Steering Group on Weapons of Mass Destruction has also been established to review existing medical capabilities and shortfalls in relation to threats from biological weapons.

Further information:

COMEDS Liaison Staff Officer
NATO Headquarters
Logistics Resources Division
International Military Staff
1110 Brussels
Belgium
Tel. +32 2 707 9862
Fax: +32 2 707 9869

COMEDS Secretariat
Etat-major du Service Médical
Quartier Reine Elisabeth
Rue d’Evere
1140 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2701 3067/8/9
Fax: +32 2 701 3071