Head of Simulation Learning at WHO Academy, World Health Organization (WHO)

Nelson Olim is Head of Simulation Learning at the WHO Academy in Lyon (France) since 2019. He was previously Deputy Chief Surgeon for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, WHO Regional Advisor for the Emergency Medical Teams Network in the Middle-Eastern Region, and WHO Trauma Coordinator for Gaza during the 2018 demonstrations. His field experience includes conflict and disaster areas in Africa, the Americas, the Middle-East, Asia and Europe, namely Honduras, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, Gaza, West Bank, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Ukraine, Indonesia, East-Timor, and Cambodia. A graduate of Lisbon University in 1995, Nelson completed his surgical training at Santa Cruz Hospital, and in 2002 he did his Trauma Fellowship at Rambam Medical Center, Haifa (Israel). Later he became a Medical Officer with the Portuguese Navy and subsequently Head of the Surgical Department of Lisbon’s naval hospital and Head of the Navy’s Medical Simulation Center. He completed his Fleet Operational Sea Training (FOST) in Plymouth (UK). An Emergency Medicine specialist, Nelson is highly experienced in Pre-Hospital Trauma, War Surgery and Mass Casualty Management (MCM). His current interest is adult learning and mixed reality simulation technology as applied to Mass Casualty Management training. He is a co-author of several text books, including: “Terror and Medicine – Medical aspects of Biological, Chemical and Radiological Terrorism”; “Management of Limb Injuries During Disaster and Conflicts”; “Basic Emergency Care Manual (WHO)”; “Pikoulis Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Disaster Management - Hot Topics in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma”; “Oxford Specialist Handbook of Global Anaesthesia” and Editor of “Emergency Trauma Response to the Gaza Mass Demonstrations 2018-2019: A One Year Review of Issues, Challenges and Trauma Data”.