The article "Public Health Workforce Strengthening in the Eastern Mediterranean: EMPHNET’s Strategic Contributions" examines the major public health workforce challenges facing the Eastern Mediterranean Region and outlines EMPHNET’s efforts to strengthen workforce capacity. It focuses on training, Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs), workforce needs assessments, monitoring and evaluation, emergency response, scientific communication, and e-learning. The article presents EMPHNET’s regional approach to developing a more skilled and sustainable workforce capable of responding to outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
Key Insights
Eastern Mediterranean countries face major public health workforce shortages, particularly in epidemiology, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness.
EMPHNET uses training needs assessments to identify country-specific competency gaps and tailor workforce development programs accordingly.
FETPs are a central component of EMPHNET’s strategy, strengthening countries’ capacity to detect, report, investigate, and respond to public health threats.
Since EMPHNET’s establishment in 2009, FETPs supported by the network have expanded to more than 15 countries, with over 35 program tiers, 200 cohorts, and 3,000 residents and graduates.
Training programs have been adapted to priority areas such as polio surveillance, WASH, One Health, COVID-19, and emergency preparedness.
EMPHNET supports the long-term sustainability of FETPs through institutionalization, partnerships, resource mobilization, monitoring, and evaluation.
FETP graduates and experts have contributed to emergency responses involving outbreaks, floods, armed conflict, mass gatherings, and other health emergencies across the region.
EMPHNET is expanding digital learning through its Learning Management System, which provides self-paced courses, blended FETPs, and instructor-led case studies.
