Regional COVID-19 operational research symposium concludes

AMMAN — The first regional COVID-19 operational research symposium of its kind under the name “COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Epidemiology, Impact, and Lessons Learned” was concluded on April 7, 2021, according to a statement from the organisers.

It was hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET). Over 200 guests joined the symposium virtually, according to the statement.

The sessions offered a space for Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) residents and graduates, and other public health professionals who presented 16 abstracts revolving COVID-19 pandemic, and covered the epidemiology of COVID-19, interventions at national and subnational levels, the work of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), COVID-19 Case Studies, the impact of COVID-19 on communicable and non-communicable diseases, and health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Within these challenging times, operational research conducted on COVID-19 is of extreme importance. Creating opportunities to discuss challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned from the pandemic is the key to moving public health practice in our region forward,” Director of the Centre of Excellence for Applied Epidemiology at EMPHNET Yousef Khader said 

“This symposium enabled us to achieve this goal whereby we utilised advances in technology to bring FETP residents, graduates, and other public health professionals in one space to share the experiences they have encountered when responding to the pandemic,” he said.

The symposium featured two keynote speakers, Associate Director for Science, Division of Global Health Protection, CGH, CDC, Ronald L. Moolenaar who presented the Role of Implementation Science in Global Health Security; and Director of Information, Evidence and Research, World Health Organiaation (WHO), Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), Arash Rashidian, who shed light on Research and COVID-19: Expectations, Achievements, and Lessons Learned.

The best abstract award was granted to FETP Egypt Graduate, Shereen Elghazaly for her presentation “The Impact of Comorbidities on COVID -19 Severity and Mortality in Egypt” and to a Public Health Professional from Jordan, Yousef Zawaneh for his presentation “Between Herd immunity and Suppression: A Modelling Study Assessing Alternative Policy Responses to COVID-19 in Jordan.” The prestigious award was presented in honour of the late Professor El Fatih Z El Sammani from Sudan.