Assessing the responses of the armed forces of NATO member states to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic tested global health systems and national resilience, requiring extensive civil-military cooperation. While individual military responses have been documented, comparative analysis across North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states based on military health service reports is limited. This study analyses the contributions of NATO armed forces to their governments' COVID-19 response, addressing this gap.

Methods: Representatives from Canada, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, France, Italy and the USA participated in a NATO Military Medical Centre of Excellence workshop. Attendees completed a 'CIV-MIL COVID-19 Data Collection Table', and their responses were reviewed during the workshop and analysed using a validated typology of military activities.

Results: NATO armed forces provided significant support in response to the pandemic, including emergency capacity reinforcement, repatriation of citizens and logistics. Healthcare contributions included augmenting health system management, procuring and distributing health commodities and converting military hospitals for civilian use. Military forces also supported public awareness campaigns, enforced COVID-19 measures and provided critical care in civilian hospitals.

Conclusions: The study underscores the essential role of military forces in supporting national COVID-19 responses and highlights the importance of civil-military cooperation. Recommendations include embedding permanent military liaisons within civilian health systems and reassessing the effectiveness of certain military activities. The validated typology serves as a framework for future analyses of military roles in health emergencies.