Member Spotlight: EMPHNET

By Mohannad Al Nsour, MD, MSc, PhD, Executive Director, EMPHNET

The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) aims to equip communities in the EMR, regardless of their economic growth and development level, with the necessary tools and knowledge to build robust health systems. EMPHNET believes that change and transformation are key elements for progressing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that health is a basic human right, regardless of where people live. 

EMPHNET adopts a comprehensive approach process to health systems strengthening, where we work at different levels to identify and respond to health challenges. We work at the regional, national, and sub-national levels and tailor solutions to the local contexts. We work to build national, regional, and global partnerships under SDG17; as well as secure global health opportunities as an innovative strategy to support EMR countries build robust health systems to meet the SDG challenges. 

This year, EMPHNET joined the global community in celebrating the First World Field Epidemiology Day on September 7th, 2021 which highlighted the work of field epidemiologists and the role they play in protecting the health of populations and advancing global health security. 

Over the past years, EMPHNET has succeeded in supporting public health efforts in over 15 countries and has worked in close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, partners, and other implementers. Our deeply rooted collaboration with countries allowed us to drive and direct opportunities to correspond to the priority needs and context of the countries. 

EMPHNET served on the Joint External Evaluation Mission for Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Libya. Between 2012 and 2018, we invested efforts in building the capacity of rapid response teams at the regional, national, and sub-national levels by training more than 600 public health professionals. EMPHNET also participated in several Polio Independent Reviews in the region. During 2018, EMPHNET trained more than 3000 public health professionals in a wide range of topics, including non-communicable diseases, rapid response, biosafety and biosecurity, surveillance, microplanning, research, laboratory testing for Brucellosis, and more. EMPHNET conducted more than 50 operational research projects, studies, and field surveys related to various public health working areas, including polio eradication and routine immunization, non-communicable diseases, biosafety and biosecurity, outreach, and emergency, health protection and promotion, communicable diseases and more.

EMPHNET believes in equal access to healthcare, health initiatives, and programs, no matter where they live. Progress towards achieving universal health is constrained by many limitations that hinder improvement in health outcomes, such as limited resources, conflict, and political instability. In maximizing its contribution to the SDGs, EMPHNET acknowledges the role of different factors in influencing health and views many of the SDG challenges (such as those related to poverty, hunger, education, inequality, and climate change) as detrimental to achieving healthy wellbeing and global health. 

EMPHNET’s work is rooted in its deep interest and belief in the importance of achieving universal health coverage, which drives its initiatives and strategies. In the spirit of partnership, we look forward to collaborating with members of the Global Health Council (GHC) to encourage communities to take charge of their health and advance global health. 

About EMPHNET

Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) vision is to help people in the EMR lead healthy lives and well-being. Our mission is to prevent and control diseases, to conduct and support operational research for priority public health domains, and to strengthen public health programs while working jointly with similar institutions, associations, networks, and organizations. We take a comprehensive approach to health systems strengthening, where we work at different levels to identify and respond to health challenges.