The Arab Board of Health Specializations approved the Infectious Diseases (ID) Fellowship Program to combat the increasing prevalence of ID. Enhancing clinical skills, research, infection control procedures, and antibiotic stewardship is an important component of the competency-based curriculum. These objectives are designed to improve the healthcare system and respond to pandemics by certifying skilled ID specialists who can effectively manage infectious disease threats. Furthermore, it inspires active participation from Arab countries and trainees to be part of this promising program. Infectious diseases (ID) represent a public health problem within Arab countries, accounting for 17% of total deaths, including acute diarrheal illness, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance, leishmaniasis, viral hepatitis, and malaria.1,2 The need for preparedness became more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating the importance of skilled ID specialists in our region.3,4 To address this issue and as part of its mission, the Arab Board of Health Specializations (ABHS) approved the ID Fellowship Program as a major step forward for Arab health standards, providing a formal framework for training ID specialists to manage infections effectively.5–7 Program goals and impact The program aims to: Provide fellows with clinical skills for infectious disease management. Advance research quality. Enable fellows to investigate outbreaks. Build antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention programs. Enhance the Arab region’s preparedness for global health emergencies. Prepare fellows for upcoming pandemics. Program significance: Career advancement: ABHS certification enables leadership roles in healthcare, academia, and research. Skill development: Fellows gain expertise in clinical care and infection control. Regional collaboration: Connects trainees with a network of experts across Arab countries. Public health leadership: Empowers fellows to address critical healthcare challenges. Program highlights: The ID Fellowship is a 2-year program integrating and dedicated education with practical medical experience and research. Key features include: Training to manage complex cases in specialty wards, including immunocompromised patients. Experience in Human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STI) and travel medicine clinics to develop expertise in tropical diseases. Mandatory research culminating in a first-author publication. Training in developing infection control protocols and antimicrobial stewardship programs. The ID Fellowship program, accredited by the ABHS addresses global and regional ID challenges through a competency-based curriculum. It enhances skills, promotes collaboration, and prepares ID specialists to improve and contribute to a more efficient healthcare system and advance medical progress across the region. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Ahmed Farag Elhassi (Tue,) studied this question.