Our Approach

We seek to realize our vision by focusing on meeting public health needs identified by national, regional, and global parties. We channel our expertise and experience towards core focus areas, driven by our strong belief in their significance to the realm of public health practice. Using our expertise to improve health outcomes, we are enabled by several factors attributed to our prominent and successful presence in the countries.

Our approach is a tested one, evident in achievements on the ground from over a decade of work in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and countries from other regions.

Capitalizing on Our Expertise

Being at the forefront of public health practice, we have acquired knowledge, experience, and skills from a variety of contexts inside and outside the EMR. We have a long history of building capacities of organizations, communities, and individuals. Over many years, we monitored and evaluated our programs and projects and that of others to ensure their success. We provided various forms of technical assistance to countries in a wide range of public health areas. We worked extensively in data management for different public health purposes and used digital solutions in public health services, interventions, and activities. We assisted in needed logistics for various partners and facilitated timely and adequate resource mobilization and delivery of equipment, especially in countries affected by limitations. We broke the language barrier to ensure knowledge sharing and provided support in professional translation and localization services to a wide range of partners.

Focusing to Serve Public Health

We chose to work in areas that best serve public health services. We support workforce development based on country needs and with a focus on applied epidemiology, a discipline at the heart of public health practice. We also work with the region’s public health programs to ensure quality health service delivery in alignment with national and global frameworks and plans. A special area is dedicated to operational and implementation research given their utmost importance to informing decision-making for better public health programming and policies. We facilitate networking and communication for public health at all levels to create opportunities for change.

Relying on Enabling Factors

While using expertise in areas focused on serving public health, our mission is made possible by several factors. We operate from within the region and have direct contact with ministries of health which facilitates our work as we respond to country needs. We have offices in several countries of the region in the most hard-to-reach areas and access to communities in need of public health services. Our long-standing presence attests to our commitment to the region, which drives our work for better health in its communities and as we expand in the region and beyond. As the Field Epidemiology Training Programs’ (FETPs) network for the region, we have a roster of thousands of field epidemiologists to deploy in response to emergencies. With our long experience, we created a growing network of partners to collaborate with in providing needed support.

To prevent and control diseases by supporting the public health workforce, conducting operational research, strengthening public health programs, and promoting knowledge exchange and networking while working with partners and collaborators. 

Better health and well-being for people in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

In early 2020, EMPHNET launched its three-year strategy for 2021 – 2024 under the title Creating Opportunities for Change. Directors of the Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), stakeholders, and our team of technical experts contributed to the development of this strategy. As a cornerstone for the future of GHD|EMPHNET, the strategy clarifies the concentration areas as well as the areas that EMPHNET needs to expand on in the next three years.

The purpose of this strategy is to reshape EMPHNET’s strategic directions with a focus on supporting countries in progressing towards meeting SDG3 targets, in addition to collaborating with key partners and stakeholders to make sustainable progress in public health action in the EMR. The strategy will allow GHD|EMPHNET to continue building on the gains achieved since 2009 and guide interventions that meet the challenges in the region, thus contributing to better health and well being of the population.

EMPHNET's strategy focuses on four goals (directions) that were formulated in alignment with its focus areas (workforce development, public health programs, research and policy, communication and networking) as well as the strengthening of internal systems and processes to facilitate operation. These goals were aligned with GHD|EMPHNET’s mission that demands prioritization and focus to innovate and bring about solutions towards achieving the vision, while being enabled by its values. Such focus is reflected through GHD|EMPHNET’s working areas which are viewed as the core domains for positively influencing change. Each of the four strategic goals are supported by a set of strategic objectives (SOs) and approaches that will guide execution of the strategic plan and monitoring its progress.

EMPHNET considers its areas of expertise (technical assistance, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, data management, digital solutions, logistics and operations, and professional translation) as the foundation for successful execution of its strategic plan. 

To view or download the strategy, click here