Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) and the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut (AUB-FM), a collaborative training program on “Molecular PCR Training for Identification and Subtyping of N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae, and H. influenzae” took place from January 15 to 18, 2024, at AUB.
This training results from the cooperation between EMPHNET and the Faculty of Medicine, particularly the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Research on Bacterial Pathogens. It is part of the Invasive Bacterial Disease Surveillance Network in North Africa, the Middle East, and Eurasia: Meningitis and Septicemia Mapping Network (MenMap) project. These collaborative efforts underscore a shared commitment to advancing research and knowledge in bacterial pathogens and infectious diseases.
The launch of the training featured welcoming remarks and addresses from key figures, including the Director of the WHO CC, Dr. Ghassan Matar; Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean at AUB-FM, Dr. Raymond Sawaya; Chairperson of the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiological Sciences, and the Associate Dean for Basic/Translational Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Assaad A. Eid; and Disease Control and Prevention Team Leader at EMPHNET, Dr. Tarek Al-Sanouri.
Participants from central laboratories in Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan received extensive training on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, focusing on testing, detection, and classification of the causes of bacterial meningitis and septicemia. This training aims to enhance capabilities for molecular sequencing of N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae, and H. influenzae. The initiative seeks to strengthen the capacity of central public health laboratories (CPHL) and personnel in diagnosing, detecting, and subtyping these three major bacterial causative agents of meningitis.
