Egypt becomes first country in Middle East and North Africa to launch field epidemiology training programme

Egypt has reinforced its regional leadership in public health and epidemic control by becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to introduce a field epidemiology training programme under the One Health strategy. This is reported by Saba El-Balad, a partner of TV BRICS.

The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Health and Population in August 2024, recently celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of 29 participants.

Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population, highlighted that the programme's launch reflects Egypt’s commitment to strengthening human resource capabilities in epidemiology. The initiative was introduced with high-level representation from key governmental and international partners.

Amr Qandil, Deputy Minister of Health and Population, explained that the programme featured four specialised workshops covering epidemiology principles under the One Health approach, public health surveillance, outbreak investigation, and leadership and management. 

These sessions aimed to equip participants with both field and administrative skills to tackle epidemiological challenges through interactive lectures and hands-on training focused on teamwork and effective communication.

Nima Abid, representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Egypt, commended the organisers, trainers, and supervisors for their contributions to the programme’s success. He emphasised that this initiative marks the beginning of a long-term effort to build multidisciplinary expertise under the One Health framework, enhancing collaborative response strategies to public health emergencies.

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