Role of the “High Institute of Public Health” during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case from Egypt

Abstract

Background: The High Institute of Public Health (HIPH), as a post-graduate academic institute, was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in several aspects. This paper describes the effect of COVID-19 on the three main domains of HIPH: research, education, and community services. Documenting the activities and practices of the HIPH during the pandemic reflects the degree of resilience and preparedness against possible future global emergencies. Despite its importance for policymakers, such data is lacking from similar institutes in the Middle East, including Egypt. Methods: An extensive search in four popular scientific databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Scival) was conducted to extract publications by authors affiliated with the HIPH using relevant keywords. Records were reviewed to collect data on the educational process as well as data on community services (convoys, campaigns, seminars, and workshops held by HIPH staff). All the mentioned activities were described, analyzed and compared before and during the pandemic to study the impact of the pandemic on the HIPH, as an example of a postgraduate institute. Results: The total numbers of COVID-19-related publications in Scopus by authors affiliated with the HIPH were 115 publications, the majority of which were research articles in the ‘Medicine’ and ‘Immunology and Microbiology’ domains. Most of them focused on assessing the relationship between the pandemic and quality of life, and prevention and treatment of COVID-19 (22.2% each). Publications on COVID-19 by HIPH researchers during the pandemic constituted 33.1% (115 publications) of the total publications by Alexandria University. Among the top ten authors on COVID-19 at Alexandria University, four were HIPH affiliated. The year 2022 witnessed the most frequent publications on COVID-19 by HIPH (51/115 publications, 44.3% of all COVID-19 publications by the HIPH on Scopus). All program courses were taught online during the year 2019–2020 (343 courses). HIPH provided several community services during the pandemic, which included 16 convoys in the poorer areas of Alexandria that served more than 1250 beneficiaries. Their goals were raising health awareness on COVID-19 vaccination, health education, and environmental assessment. Implications for Policy & Practice: This paper is the first of its kind by members of the High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University. It provides baseline data for future similar work and is a documentation of the compilation of efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic that gives baseline data for public health assessment and planning by policy makers.