Accord aims to strengthen health systems to meet the needs of health services in the Arab region
International Academy of Public Health (IAPH) and the Arab Board of Health Specializations (CABMS) signed an MoU on September 22 in Amman, Jordan, to improve health services across the Arab region.
The IAPH is a multi-disciplinary professional development academy for the public health workforce.
The Chairman of IAPH’s Board of Directors, Dr. Mohannad Al-Nsour and the Secretary-General of CABMS, Professor Omar bin Awad Al Rawas, emphasized the need for joint efforts to implement the terms of MoU. They also called for the need to jointly come up with mechanisms to execute the requirements of the temporal and spatial phase to build and develop the professional technical capabilities and skills of workers in different areas of health in the Arab countries.
The signing ceremony was preceded by a detailed overview presentation on IAPH by the Executive Director Dr. Haitham Bashir in which he presented the IAPH’s strategic outlook, vision, mission, and goals.
Dr. Bashier introduced the structure and format of training courses and various programs. He also highlighted IAPH’s features, enabling factors and extended partnerships in the EMR region, which creates strength and motivation to develop professional vocational and technical training targeting all workers and professionals within the public health workforce. Dr. Sheikh Badr, acting on behalf of the Head of Community Medicine Specialty at CABMS, presented the CABMS five-year strategy and its objectives, system and mechanisms of work.
This was followed by an open discussion between members of both teams in which the urgent need for IAPH in the region was manifested. The discussion also demonstrated the benefit from the quality programs and courses offered by IAPH within creative scientific and technological methods, which was received with praise and further emphasize from members of the CABMS. It was emphasized as well that the current situation remains with an urgent need for such an approach of education and professional vocational training. Eventually, such an approach would sustain the professional gains and skills of the public health workforce through continuing education programs.
The MoU was signed by the Chairman of IAPH’s Board of Directors, Dr. Mohannad Al-Nsour, on behalf of IAPH and the Secretary-General of the CABMS, Prof. Omar bin Awad Al-Rawas, signed on behalf of CABMS.
The MoU included in its content many important items, including:
- Strengthening the framework of the relationship and integration between community medicine and public health to serve the improvement of health services in the Arab region.
- Developing residency systems in community medicine and public health towards ensuring quality and standardization in the specialized training.
- Developing programs for subspecialties in community medicine and public health. Strengthening health systems to meet the needs of health services in the Arab region, especially in view of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Designing and presenting continuous professional development programs in various fields to improve capabilities of health workers.
- Building research capabilities, planning and implementing studies and research in priority areas for both parties.
- Exchanging technical expertise, presenting joint scientific activities, and establishing and strengthening partnerships.
- Cooperation in developing digital transformation systems and programs to serve objectives of both parties.