Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41895795›Full record

ReviewBMJ global health2026

Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic: Middle East and North Africa regional perspective for future preparedness.

Noha H Farag, Ahmet Ozen, Alicen B Spaulding, Gulfaraz Khan, Mohamed Ridha Barbouche, Munmun A Khan, Pierre Zalloua, Samira Al-Mahruqi, Walid Zaher, Zayid K Almayahi and 3 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMJ global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Noha H FaragMiddle East and North Africa Regional Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Muscat, Oman nfarag@cdc.gov.ORCID 0000-0002-4968-5907
Ahmet OzenDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Alicen B SpauldingNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4687-3259
Gulfaraz KhanMicrobiology and Immunology, United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al Ain, UAE.ORCID 0000-0001-6836-1783
Mohamed Ridha BarboucheDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Arabian Gulf University College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Manama, Bahrain.
Munmun A KhanMiddle East and North Africa Regional Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Muscat, Oman.ORCID 0009-0001-5307-3399
Pierre ZallouaKhalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, UAE.ORCID 0000-0002-8494-5081
Samira Al-MahruqiAssociation of Public Health Laboratories, Muscat, Oman.
Walid ZaherFuture Prescriptions (f-rx), Dubai, UAE.
Zayid K AlmayahiMiddle East and North Africa Regional Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Muscat, Oman.ORCID 0000-0002-4456-3177
Alawi Alsheikh-AliCollege of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai, UAE.
Heather BurkeMiddle East and North Africa Regional Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Muscat, Oman.
Mohamed H SayeghNational Institute of Allergy and Infectiuos Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Funding

Intramural Research Programme NIH & National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesthe US Department of Health and Human Services
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed critical gaps in preparedness and response capacities globally. These gaps were evident in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as the region faces unique challenges due to ongoing humanitarian crises, political instability and large-scale religious gatherings, which further exacerbate the risk of spread of infectious diseases.In April 2024, a conference hosted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention MENA Regional Office and National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, brought together 200 scientists and public health professionals from 16 countries to discuss lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies to strengthen future preparedness and response. This report presents the key barriers to regional collaboration and data sharing identified during the conference, along with the proposed solutions, including establishing regional collaboration platforms, increasing public-private partnerships, operationalising the one health approach and leveraging technological advances.Reflections on the global pandemic response emphasise the need for improved communication, preparedness extending beyond the health sector and distribution of resources. The collective insights and recommendations in this report aim to provide a roadmap for strengthening emergency preparedness and response in the MENA region and globally, ensuring improved readiness for future public health emergencies.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAfrica, NorthernHumansMiddle EastPandemic PreparednessPublic HealthPublic Health InfrastructureSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Disease OutbreaksPandemic Preparedness

Identifiers

PMID41895795
PMCPMC13034238

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.