Amman: The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), celebrated the graduation of two new cohorts of the Jordanian Field Epidemiology Training Program, reinforcing national efforts to strengthen public health capacity and disease surveillance.
According to Jordan News Agency, a total of 11 trainees from the program's 20th and 21st cohorts completed the two-year training program, which covered epidemiology, biostatistics, surveillance systems, communication, health economics, laboratory sciences and biosafety, computer applications, and scientific writing. With the latest graduates, the program's total number of graduates has reached 183 specialists.
The Jordanian Field Epidemiology Training Program is integrated within the Community Medicine Residency Program, a specialty accredited by the Jordanian Medical Council under the Jordanian Board of Community Medicine, helping ensure the program's sustainability and institutional standing.
Graduates serve at both the central level and within governorate health directorates. All governorates currently have at least one program graduate working in the public health sector, making Jordan one of the few countries regionally and globally to meet the International Health Regulations benchmark of one epidemiologist per 200,000 people.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health for Primary Healthcare and Epidemiology Riyad Shiyab said the Applied Epidemiology and Community Medicine Program has become a cornerstone of the ministry's efforts to build specialized public health expertise and enhance the efficiency of the national health system.
He said the program serves as a key source of support for the ministry in epidemiology, public health and emergency response at both the national and regional levels.
Shiyab noted that the program has helped prepare specialized healthcare professionals with the skills needed to monitor diseases, investigate outbreaks, analyze health data and support evidence-based decision-making, strengthening the health sector's preparedness to address emerging challenges.
He said recent years have underscored the importance of developing national expertise in applied epidemiology, noting that program graduates played a leading role in Jordan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and contributed to studies and research that supported health policymaking and improvements in primary healthcare services.
Shiyab added that Jordan has hosted trainees from several Arab countries and contributed to the establishment of similar programs across the region in cooperation with EMPHNET and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
He stressed that the graduates' achievements reflect a national commitment to protecting public health and enhancing the health sector's readiness to respond to future challenges, while commending EMPHNET and other partners for their continued technical and logistical support.
Director of the Center of Excellence in Applied Epidemiology and representative of EMPHNET, Yousef Qaoud, reaffirmed the network's commitment to supporting the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Jordan and similar initiatives across the region. He said the program's success reflects the long-standing partnership between the Ministry of Health and EMPHNET, which has supported the program since 2011 and contributed to the development of comparable programs in several countries.
Qaoud noted that the Jordanian program has hosted participants from a number of Arab countries, fostering regional cooperation and the exchange of expertise.
Since its establishment, the program received support from the CDC between 1998 and 2011. Since 2011, EMPHNET has worked alongside the Ministry of Health to ensure its continued growth, development, and sustainability through technical and logistical assistance.