On 12 August, the fifth EU NAVFOR medical conference took place on board HSwMS CARLSKRONA, the EU NAVFOR Task Force flag ship in Djibouti.

Representatives from Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Germany attended the conference and exchanged concepts and ideas in order to further develop the EU NAVFOR Medical Best Practice. A variety of topics were covered throughout the day, but of particular note were Casualty Tracking and Notification and the Medical Treatment of Detainees. The presence of US medical staff from the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTFHOA) brought significant regional knowledge and experience. This further highlights the co-operation between EU NAVFOR and the other task forces operating in and around the Horn of Africa.

Colonel Frans Dijkgraaf, Chief of Operational Medical Policy, Netherlands Armed Forces said: "This day gave all nations the opportunity to think 'out of the box' and bring novel and innovative ideas to the table. A highly successful day that needs to be continued."

Lt Veerle Ryckeboer, Medical Planner, Belgian Operational Medical Headquarters commented: 'The opportunity to meet European counterparts cannot be underestimated, this ensures a translucent and comprehensive approach to military medical practices within the EU NAVFOR contributing states'.

EU NAVFOR Somalia - Operation ATALANTA's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.