Image source: opcw
In October 2024, Syrian trainees joined a specialized training course held by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), in collaboration with a Chinese commission, aimed at enhancing medical readiness in response to chemical threats.
From October 14 to 18, the city of Xi’an, China, hosted a course focused on the medical aspects of chemical weapons protection. This initiative was organized by the OPCW in partnership with China’s National Organization for the Chemical Weapons Convention and sponsored by the Chinese Air Force Medical University.
The course emphasized the medical preparedness and response capabilities of hospitals, with a particular focus on managing victims in the event of an attack involving chemical agents or hazardous industrial chemicals. The training provided participants with hands-on experiences, treatment methods, and protocols, as well as strategies for addressing gaps in medical response capacity.
A total of 23 participants from 19 OPCW Member States including Syria, Germany, and Iran attended, representing medical and health professionals from hospitals and emergency facilities prepared to receive victims of chemical emergencies.
Trainers included experts from the OPCW Technical Secretariat, China’s Ministry of National Defense, and the Chinese Air Force Medical University. The course was conducted under Article X, “Assistance and Protection Against Chemical Weapons,” of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which includes guidance on medical remedies and treatments.
The OPCW has underscored the importance of enhancing medical responses to mitigate the impact of chemical weapons and toxic industrial chemicals, a top priority for the organization’s capacity-building efforts. Member States are encouraged to support similar initiatives, with the OPCW reaffirming its commitment to building stronger medical capacities for chemical weapons protection in alignment with the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
With 193 member states, the OPCW serves as the executive body overseeing the global initiative to permanently eliminate chemical weapons a mission that has been in effect since 1997 under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
chemical_attack chemical_weapons opcw syria
