Introduction:
In recent decades, increased cross-border movement of people has raised the risk of diseases spreading between countries. The Autonomous Region of Madeira receives thousands of tourists annually, with one of its main entry points being through its ports. In Maritime Health, epidemiological surveillance is a key tool for Public Health Teams to implement intervention strategies¹. This study aims to characterize medical emergency disembarkation cases at the ports of the Autonomous Madeira Region.

Methods:
We analyzed all medical emergency disembarkation cases between January 1 and August 15, 2024, at the ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Funchal, Caniçal, and Porto Santo). Data were obtained from email messages sent to the Maritime Health team and organized in a management database. Categorical variables were described by absolute and relative frequencies, and continuous variables by median and interquartile range. A “medical disembarkation” occurs when a passenger or crew member leaves the vessel for medical reasons and does not return.

Results:
During the study period, 147 vessels docked at the three ports, with 434 ship calls, including cruise, cargo, and military ships. In total, 53 people disembarked (46 passengers and 7 crew members). The majority were male (64%), with a median age of 76 years (P25-P75: 60-84). The majority were British (41%) and German (26%). Most disembarkations were from cruise ships, with the three main reasons being cardiovascular (28%), respiratory (21%), and orthopedic diseases (19%). The majority (64%) were transported to private services. One typhoid fever case required significant Maritime Health intervention due to the non-medical staff's lack of awareness of the disease and its transmission.

Conclusions:
Organizing epidemiological data is crucial for addressing needs in Maritime Health. Coordination with the private sector remains a challenge for monitoring disembarked patients since access to clinical data is limited due to the disconnection between informatic systems.