03 December 2010
BEIRUT: Discussions on how to modernize and improve coordination of health policy in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) got under way Thursday at a two-day workshop operating under the auspices of Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh.
Taking place at Crowne Plaza Hotel under the title “Strengthening Health Policymaking in the EMR,” the event is considered to be “the first of its kind in the region,” and succeeded in attracting regional experts, ministry representatives and policymakers.
The need to clearly outline new health priorities, and the ability of the system to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century, featured prominently in the talks.
Fears of the resurgence of global pandemics have been growing in recent years, enflamed by the emergence of deadly viruses such as the swine and bird flu, adding urgency to the need to formulate a joint regional response.
The adoption of a “Knowledge Translation” (KT) concept, first adopted in 2000 by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CTHR) and intended to strengthening the health system by incorporating evidence-based knowledge into new health practices, was also discussed at the workshop.
The event was organized by Fadi al-Jardali, a health-science faculty member at the American University of Beirut, and funded by prominent international organizations including the International Development and Research Center and the World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office.
Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
