Regional workshop on health challenges linked to mass population displacement organised by ECDC and Egypt

The event brought together nearly one hundred participants from EU Member States, Southern and Eastern Partnership countries, alongside representatives from Africa CDC, WHO, UNHCR, and IOM, to exchange experiences and identify practical solutions for managing infectious disease risks in situations of mass population displacement.

The workshop highlighted the growing global challenge of forced displacement, noting the health risks associated with overcrowding, limited access to sanitation, and disrupted health services.

Throughout the three days, participants engaged in plenary sessions, keynote presentations, country case studies, expert panels, and breakout discussions. Topics included:

• Preparedness planning for sudden and large population movements
• Screening and vaccination strategies at points of entry
• Strengthening syndromic surveillance
• Improving coordination between public health, civil protection and humanitarian sectors
• Good examples from national and regional practices 

Recommendations included enhancing data collection and information flow during displacement events, reinforcing vaccination and screening protocols, and developing practical guidance and tools for frontline workers.

In the closing session, ECDC and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population reaffirmed the value of continued collaboration to strengthen health security across the EU's Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood region. 

Reflecting on the outcomes of the workshop, Prof. Abla Al-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population and Family Development, emphasised that “Preparedness is not only about borders and screening. It is about people, families, and trust. It is about health systems that remain strong under pressure and humane under crisis “.

Background

This workshop builds on a series of previous ECDC–Egypt collaborative events hosted in Egypt, including regional meetings on the impact of climate change on infectious diseases and strategies towards hepatitis C elimination. Together, these initiatives reflect a sustained partnership between ECDC and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population to strengthen health security, preparedness and regional cooperation across the EU Neighbourhood region.

This workshop was organised under the EU Initiative on Health Security, which supports partner countries in building capacity to prevent, detect and respond to serious cross-border health security threats.