With support from EMPHNET, three Public Health Empowerment Program (PHEP) cohorts were completed in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Lebanon in 2026, strengthening national capacity for respiratory virus surveillance and response.

The Public Health Empowerment Program (PHEP) is the basic level of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) model. Designed as a three-month, in-service program, it combines structured learning, mentorship, and workplace-based field assignments to strengthen practical competencies in surveillance, data analysis, outbreak investigation, communication, and response.

In 2026, this model was adapted to different respiratory disease priorities. Saudi Arabia implemented a specialized Public Health Empowerment Program for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (PHEP-MERS) cohort focused on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) preparedness and response, while Pakistan and Lebanon implemented cohorts of the Public Health Empowerment Program for Respiratory Viruses (PHEP-RV). Across the three countries, EMPHNET worked with national public health institutions to support program adaptation and delivery while maintaining the core principles of applied field epidemiology.

Together, these cohorts form part of EMPHNET’s broader regional effort to strengthen specialized field epidemiology training and build national workforce capacity for respiratory disease surveillance, preparedness, and response.

Saudi Arabia: Extending MERS-CoV Field Epidemiology Training to Hajj and Umrah Regions

Saudi Arabia was the first of the three specialized PHEP cohorts to conclude in 2026, with a PHEP-MERS cohort tailored to the surveillance and response needs of the Hajj and Umrah regions. Building on a national-level cohort delivered in Riyadh in 2025, the program was expanded to public health professionals in Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, and Taif.

The three-month program combined four online courses, three in-person workshops, two fieldwork periods, and continuous mentorship. It began with a mentorship workshop on February 8–9, followed by Workshop 1 from February 10–12, which brought together 30 participants and 10 mentors and focused on foundational epidemiology, surveillance, MERS-CoV, data analysis, and preparation for fieldwork.

After completing their first workplace-based assignments, participants returned for Workshop 2 from March 31 to April 2, which focused on outbreak investigation, line listing, epidemiological and laboratory linkages, risk communication, and preparation for a second fieldwork period.

The cohort concluded with Workshop 3 and the graduation ceremony from April 28–30, 2026, where 29 participants completed the final stage of the program, presented their fieldwork, and consolidated their learning through sessions on leadership in public health emergencies, problem analysis, and management. The final workshop and graduation ceremony brought together officials and technical representatives from Public Health Authority (PHA) and EMPHNET, including Dr. Abdulaziz Al Mutairi, Director of the Saudi FETP, and Dr. Haitham Bashier, Director of EMPHNET’s Public Health Emergency Management Center (PHEMC).

Pakistan: Strengthening Respiratory Virus Surveillance and Response in Sindh

Pakistan was the second of the three specialized PHEP cohorts to conclude in 2026, with PHEP-RV implemented in Sindh Province. The cohort brought together 26 professionals from surveillance, laboratories, healthcare facilities, and public health programs, creating a multidisciplinary learning environment to strengthen respiratory virus detection and response.

Workshop 1, held in Karachi from February 2–6, 2026, focused on foundational epidemiology, respiratory virus surveillance, data collection and interpretation, and priority pathogens including influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV. The workshop also introduced One Health linkages, reflecting the importance of coordination across human, animal, and environmental health in addressing respiratory virus threats.

Following their first field assignments, participants returned for Workshop 2 from April 6–10, which moved the cohort into applied outbreak investigation and emergency response. Participants presented their fieldwork before progressing into outbreak investigation, laboratory coordination, Rapid Response Teams, risk communication, and public health emergency management.

The 26-participant cohort concluded with Workshop 3 and its graduation ceremony from May 11–14, 2026. The final stage centered on fieldwork presentations and peer and mentor feedback, while further strengthening leadership, management, and problem-analysis skills relevant to respiratory virus surveillance and public health emergencies. The graduation ceremony was attended by Dr. Magid Al-Gunaid, EMPHNET’s Deputy Executive Director, alongside representatives of national and provincial health institutions.

Lebanon: Sustaining Field Epidemiology Training During an Emergency

Lebanon was the third of the three specialized PHEP cohorts to conclude in 2026, with Cohort 7 of Lebanon’s FETP implemented as a PHEP-RV cohort focused on respiratory viruses. Implemented through the Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiological Surveillance Program, the cohort brought together 21 residents supported by 13 mentors, representing surveillance teams, laboratories, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Lebanese Red Cross.

Workshop 1, conducted between January 21 and February 12, combined face-to-face and online learning in epidemiology, human and zoonotic diseases, respiratory virus surveillance, One Health, data analysis, and surveillance tools before residents moved into fieldwork.

During the first fieldwork period, disruptions in the country required the program to adapt its delivery modalities and fieldwork activities accordingly. Despite these challenges, residents continued applying their skills to respiratory virus surveillance, producing 84 surveillance reports and conducting data-quality audit visits to 63 laboratories. Workshop 2, conducted between March 30 and May 20, then shifted the focus toward outbreak investigation and public health emergency management.

A second fieldwork period put these competencies into practice. Residents prepared 21 RSV surveillance reports, investigated 315 suspected influenza cases, produced 21 investigation reports, and conducted structured problem analyses of 21 issues identified during their earlier fieldwork. Residents were also involved in investigating disease clusters in shelters.

As disruptions continued, the program maintained its activities through adapted delivery and fieldwork modalities. When security conditions affected the final stage of the program, Workshop 3 was moved online, allowing all 21 residents to present their fieldwork and complete the cohort on June 17–18.

The cohort was formally celebrated on July 28, 2026, at the Ministry of Public Health in Beirut, where 21 residents who successfully completed the program were recognized. The graduation was attended by H.E. Dr. Rakan Nasreddine, Minister of Public Health, Dr. Nada Ghson, Lebanon FETP Director, and Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour, EMPHNET’s Executive Director, alongside the Lebanon FETP team, mentors, residents, and national and EMPHNET representatives.

From National Experience to Regional Capacity

The experiences in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Lebanon show how the PHEP model can be adapted to different national priorities while maintaining its core emphasis on applied field epidemiology, mentorship, and workplace-based learning.

Together, the cohorts reflect EMPHNET’s commitment to expanding specialized field epidemiology training across the region. In collaboration with partners, EMPHNET has continued to develop and implement specialized FETP tracks, most recently through a regional mental health program and One Health programs in Yemen and Jordan.

Moving forward, EMPHNET will continue working with ministries of health, public health authorities, FETPs, and technical partners to expand these pathways and strengthen national capacity to respond to current and emerging public health threats.