Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network, 4th Regional Conference

EMPHNET’s Regional Conference presents an opportunity for field epidemiologists and public health professionals from across the region to exchange knowledge and share experience. The conference is an important platform for maximizing skills among field epidemiologists working to serve their countries. This year, the theme of the conference is "Public Health in the Region: Challenges and Opportunities." The conference will draw on issues that are of common concern to the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), while also identifying difficult and atypical situations that exclusively challenge some of the countries.

Focusing on public health practice in the regional context, the four-day conference program will include sessions on regional public health issues, panel discussions, and round-table meetings. The Conference will feature oral and poster presentations by Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) graduates and residents, as well as other public health professionals from the region.

EMPHNET encourages those interested to submit an abstract for presentation at the Regional Conference.  Information and instructions on abstract submission are available on the submit an abstract page.  Abstracts can be submitted for review between May 21st and July 15th.  

About the Conference

EMPHNET’s Fourth Regional Conference aims to highlight the quality and prominence of field epidemiology work done in the region. The conference will engage FETP residents, and graduates; public health professionals; regional and international partners; and academic institutions in discussing challenges, strategies, and innovations for strengthening public health practice in the EMR.

Population health status in the EMR is partly influenced by events and circumstances that challenge the National health systems. . The high burden of non-communicable diseases, the spread of communicable diseases, the presence of emerging and re-emerging infections, and the growing threat to biosecurity are issues that challenge public health in the EMR.  Further, the presence of political conflict, humanitarian crises, natural disasters and other emergencies interfere with the provision and quality of healthcare services. These factors compromise population health, and increase the risk for disease outbreaks.

The ability to respond to public health challenges in the EMR requires enhanced public health capacity, which must be supported through collaboration and innovation among countries. This conference will provide an opportunity for information exchange regarding such issues and will also offer a platform to showcase the scientifically grounded work of FETP residents and graduates, as well as other public health professionals from the region.

Conference Objectives

Present the accomplishments of field epidemiologists and public health professionals  from the EMR.

Engage members of the public health workforce and international and regional entities in discussion of   priority public health concerns for the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Facilitate experience exchange and knowledge sharing among public health professionals and entities to encourage regional coordination.

Theme

The theme of the Fourth EMPHNET Regional Conference is "Public Health in the Region: Challenges and Opportunities." The theme reflects public health issues with particular emphasis on events, challenges, and circumstances specific to the EMR. The conference program will focus on the challenges, strategies, and innovations relevant to pertinent public health issues in the region, such as the high burden of NCDs, outbreaks of communicable diseases, emerging and re-emerging infections, strength of surveillance systems, public health in mass gatherings, threats to biosecurity, and the presence of political conflict and emergencies.