Leadership for Health programme

A joint collaboration between the World Health Organization and Harvard School of Public Health, the Leadership for Health (LfH) programme is an initiative of the Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean that addresses the current public health leadership gap in the Region. The intensive programme aims to establish a critical mass of public health leaders capable of proactively tackle national, regional, and global health challenges that impact the health and socioeconomic well-being of populations. 

The Eastern Mediterranean Region faces a myriad of health and health-related challenges that require strong leadership. Prominent among these are the ongoing conflicts and emergencies in many Member States that have strained health systems; the epidemiological and demographic transitions many countries are experiencing with an increase in the incidence of noncommunicable diseases; and the unfinished agenda of improving maternal and child health and eradicating communicable diseases, including poliomyelitis. 

Strong public health leadership is crucial to effectively tackling these challenges. Nevertheless, the scarcity of adequately trained public health professionals in responsible positions and the absence of leadership training in most public health educational programmes continue to hinder the pursuit of health reforms and the promotion of population health and well-being. There is thus an urgent need to build public health leadership in the Region to drive and sustain national and regional health initiatives, enhance countries’ presence in global health discussions, and promote effective communication with stakeholders.  

Related links

First round of the Leadership for Health Programme, 23 January–18 February 2015

Second round of Leadership for Health programme, 15 November 2015–30 January 2016