PESHAWAR: Khyber Medical University and Pasteur Institute of Tunis have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish satellite regional training centre for Eastern Mediterranean region in collaboration with special programme for research and training in tropical diseases (TDR).

The centre will be supported by World Health Organisation. The agreement was formalised during 5th International Public Health Conference held at KMU. This partnership marks a significant advancement in promoting implementation research and public health training across EMRO countries.

The training centre will be established at KMU’s Institute of Public Health and Social Sciences (IPH&SS), where, under the supervision of the WHO-TDR Global Training Centre in Tunis, certified courses, diploma programmes, mentorship and research support will be provided.

KMU Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq will serve as principal investigator of the project while Dr Khalid Rehman, the director of IPH&SS, and Dr Sheraz Fazid, the head of department of epidemiology and biostatistics, will act as co-principal investigators. Dr Wafa Kammoun will represent Pasteur Institute of Tunis.

Prof Zia described the partnership as a historic milestone for Pakistan’s public health sector. He said that the collaboration would play a key role in promoting evidence-based policymaking and strengthening health systems across the region.

He said that declaration of KMU as a WHO satellite regional training centre for Eastern Mediterranean was not only a great honour but also a major achievement for Pakistan’s health and education sector.

He said that the centre would offer training, research support and professional mentorship to benefit health professionals across the region and help to improve public health policy and practice.

“We are proud to be part of this global initiative aimed at health research and capacity-building. We extend our gratitude to WHO, TDR and all our collaborators for their trust and support,” said Prof Zia.

The initiative is in line with WHO-TDR mission to strengthen research capacity in low and middle-income countries to tackle pressing health challenges.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025