Background:The Public Health Empowerment Program (PHEP) is a 3-month training program for frontline public health staff to improve surveillance quality and strengthen the early warning system capacities. Studies evaluating the program and its impact on the health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of PHEP graduates’ engagement in field epidemiology activities, assess their perceived skills and capacity to perform these activities and assess the extent to which PHEP helped the graduates to perform field epidemiology activities.Methods:A descriptive evaluation study was conducted based on levels 3 and 4 of Kirkpatrick’s model for evaluating training programs to assess the change in graduates’ behavior and the direct results of the program. Data were collected using two online surveys targeting PHEP graduates and programs’ directors/ technical advisers.Results:A total of 162 PHEP graduates and 8 directors/ technical advisers participated in the study. The majority of PHEP graduates reported that they are often involved in activities such as responding to disease outbreaks effectively (87.7%) and monitoring surveillance data collection (75.3%). High proportions of PHEP graduates rated their skills as good in performing most of field epidemiology activities. The majority of graduates reported that the PHEP helped them much in conducting, reviewing, and monitoring surveillance data collection (92%), responding effectively to public health events and disease outbreaks (91.4%), and communicating information effectively with agency staff and with the local community (85.2%).Conclusion:PHEP appears to be an effective program for improving the public health workforce’s skills and practices in epidemiological competencies in the EMR. PHEP strengthened the engagement of the graduates in most field epidemiology activities, especially during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND Jordan is considered a low HIV epidemic country with prevalence rates of 0.02% among the general population and 0.05% among key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure. Studies on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) help design public health policies and plan health interventions targeting community needs. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), perceived stigma and discrimination, adherence to medication, and satisfaction of health services among People Who Live With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Jordan. METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among PLWHAs in Jordan in 2021. The study included 152 PLWHA who receive services from the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS More than half of the study respondents showed low to moderate HIV/AIDS-related knowledge (n=90, 59.2%), negative attitudes (n=87, 57.3%), and moderate to high levels of stigma (n=86, 57.3%). Almost 28.7% (n=43) of patients had perceived moderate to high level of discrimination. Nonetheless, the majority (89.3%) of PLWHA reported that they were highly satisfied with VCT-offered health services. Overall, 31% (n=47) of the PLWHA were not adherent to medication. Adherence to ART was significantly higher among patients with high level of knowledge, patients who perceived moderate to high discrimination and patients who perceived low impact of stigma on accessing services. CONCLUSIONS More than half of PLWHA in this study had low/moderate knowledge, negative attitudes, and moderate to high levels of stigma. Findings from this study provides evidence-based results for formulating multifaceted interventions and informing decisions at different levels to enhance HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitude, and practices, overcome stigma and discrimination.