Participants during the course.
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) conducted a pilot foundation course under the National Training Plan on Public Health Emergency Management, bringing together 72 participants from a range of sectors involved in public health emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
The course aims to strengthen national capacities and enhance preparedness by promoting a shared understanding of the core principles of public health emergency management. Key areas covered included preparedness and response, emergency operations management, multisectoral coordination, risk assessment, national and international frameworks, and risk communication and community engagement.
Director of the Health Emergency Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Soha Al Bayat affirmed that the course was organised in response to the findings of the 2024 multisectoral training needs assessment and the 2025 National Health Emergency Management Training Plan Development Workshop. Both highlighted the need for a unified national training programme on public health emergency management. She stressed the importance of building national capacity and strengthening coordination among relevant stakeholders.
Dr Soha also commended the high level of engagement and active participation demonstrated throughout the course, noting that the outcomes of the pilot phase and the lessons learned will help further refine and formally endorse the training curriculum ahead of the programme’s wider rollout at the national level.
The course supports national efforts to build a sustainable public health emergency preparedness and response system in line with international standards and best practices.
