Impact of COVID-19 on health professionals’ education in Eastern Mediterranean Region

Background: The education sector is one of the major sectors adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic globally, and education of health professionals is no exception. Thousands of health professional institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were closed abruptly to ensure the safety of students and staff. Aims: This study aims to describe the situation of health professionals’ education in the EMR during COVID-19 and review strategies adopted by institutions to ensure continuity of education. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, key informant-based survey involving 50 institutions was conducted in 13 Member States of the EMR. The survey included medicine (‎n=23)‎, dentistry (‎n=9)‎, nursing (‎n=13)‎, and pharmacy (‎n=5)‎ colleges. The questionnaire included 40 open-ended questions about the challenges facing health professionals’ education during the COVID-19 lockdown and strategies adopted for the continuation of education. Data were analysed and summarized to reach meaningful conclusions. Results: Almost all institutions in the EMR were closed during February and March 2020 as the number of cases increased. Most institutions, with few exceptions, in resource-constrained countries switched to online learning through emergency remote teaching mechanisms. COVID-19 caused delays in the completion of academic sessions and modifications to the curricula to cover courses within a short time. Conclusion: COVID-19 may continue to impact health professionals’ education. However, countries with better IT infrastructure and support will likely continue to develop their online educational capacities to reap the benefits of e-learning in the future.