Following the successful conclusion of the Eighth EMPHNET Regional Conference, the EMPHNET FETP Board of Directors met for its periodic meeting for the year 2024. Held at EMPHNET’s Headquarters in Amman, on September 19, 2024, the meeting was attended by FETP directors from 15 countries in the EMR and beyond, alongside members from EMPHNET’s staff.

Meeting proceedings commenced with the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Prof. Nissaf Bouafif Ben Alaya giving her opening remarks. As part of her address, she congratulated the directors on the achievements made by their country programs, and the impressive abstracts presented during the Eight EMPHNET Regional Conference by their residents and graduates.   

Prof. Ben Alaya also spoke about the importance of achieving sustainability for FETPs and the imperative need to secure funding for all country programs. She stressed on the urgency of building on existing partnerships and creating new ones while reflecting on the significance of collaboration to secure continuous funding.

She also shared her vision for establishing a regional FETP with each cohort comprising two residents from each of the region’s countries. “I see this FETP conducting each module in a different country from the region, thus closing the human resource gap we currently have, while increasing opportunities for deployment to Sudan, Palestine, and other countries facing emergencies, “she added.

After the opening address, the Director of the Center of Excellence for Applied Epidemiology at EMPHNET, Prof. Yousef Khader highlighted EMPHNET's key achievements over the past year, while highlighting the progress made following the last Board of Directors’ meeting and its resulting recommendations. He shed light on the increased number of partnerships EMPHNET formed, the role it had played in assisting FETPs in achieving accreditation, the strides it had made in the areas of E-learning and blended learning, as well as the support it had given FETPs in the areas of scientific writing and capacity building. Prof. Khader also highlighted the different initiatives EMPHNET spearheads to increase FETP visibility and the efforts it makes to ensure that knowledge is readily available for FETP residents and graduates. He then ended his presentation by reiterating EMPHNET’s commitment to continue supporting FETPs in the region and beyond.

Directors representing the different FETPs within EMPHNET’s network then proceeded to present to the board the achievements, milestones, and challenges pertaining to their respective programs. Recurring themes within these presentations included the need for funding, a need for more exchange amongst FETPs, and a need to create more opportunities for country programs to learn from one another.

These presentations were then followed by an open discussion during which a consensus was reached on the need to have a regional sustainability plan for FETPs. Other recommendations made during these discussions included ensuring that training materials are translated into the different languages spoken in the region, developing more customized case studies, and developing an online platform for mentors.

The EMPHNET FETP Board of Directors meeting offered a space for participants to renew their commitment to enhancing their country programs, and to cement EMPHNET’s support for the region’s FETPs, all towards achieving the shared goal of enhancing public health practice in  the region.