Amman, July 30 (Petra) – The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) has released a regional report advocating for sustainable, community-led health solutions as the most effective way to strengthen health systems in fragile settings affected by conflict and climate change.

The report comes at a time when the region is facing increasing health complexities.

Drawing on 15 years of field experience across more than 15 countries from Afghanistan to Morocco the report presents locally relevant strategies to address rising health challenges, including increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, risks of epidemic outbreaks and disruptions to health services in fragile environments.

"The region’s public health risks are deeply interconnected and shaped by complex, constantly evolving realities," said Dr Mohannad Nsour, Executive Director of EMPHNET. "This report presents tested, operational approaches that can be scaled and strengthened now."

Nsour explained that the report highlights proven community-based approaches that can be expanded and built upon. The approaches have demonstrated tangible and sustainable impacts in various contexts, such as investing in practical health education at all levels, which has strengthened emergency response capacities and ensured the continuity of essential health services in over a dozen countries.

Community-based approaches have fostered local ownership and produced measurable results including improved vaccine coverage, expanded access for underserved and vulnerable populations, enhanced routine immunisation reporting systems and behavioural change in areas like tobacco control and non-communicable disease management.

The report underscores the importance of establishing sustainable professional practices through the development and adoption of standard operating procedures and guidelines in areas like biorisk management, rapid response and One Health initiatives.

The practices facilitate integration in both fragile and stable settings. It stresses the importance of data-driven decision-making by utilising implementation science to support cost-effective interventions, particularly in low-resource settings and among vulnerable groups such as refugees.

The report highlights the benefits of cross-sectoral collaboration and a whole-of-society approach, which have improved coordinated responses to shared health challenges particularly through the application of "One Health" principles in monitoring zoonotic diseases and climate-related health risks.

Nsour noted that the report comes at a time of shifts in the global health financing landscape, with continued reliance on emergency appeals.

He called for regional actors to take on a more prominent role in shaping the future of public health and emphasised the importance of increased regional cooperation and recognising local expertise as a vital source of innovation and effective implementation.

//Petra// AK

30/07/2025 23:20:03