Revival of EMAME academic activities discussed during Zoom meeting
CAIRO (UAR): World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office organized a zoom meeting on Sunday September 15th to discuss the revival of academic activities and making the EMAME List serve functional. The meeting was attended by Arash Rashidian, Director of Science Information and Dissemination and Dr. Arshad Altaf Technical Officer/acting RAI, Science, Information and Dissemination (SID) from WHO EMRO while Prof. Farhad Handjani President and Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid Secretary represented the EMAME. WHO EMRO it may be mentioned had played a vital role in the formation as well as the functioning of EMAME and a focal person at WHO EMRO offices also keeps liaison between WHO EMRO and EMAME. After the retirement of Dr. Mandil, Dr. Arshad Altaf has assumed these responsibilities.
Speaking at the meeting Dr. Arash Rashidian wished that EMAME should serve as an umbrella organization for all standard peer reviewed biomedical journals published from the EMRO Region. All the important journals published in the region should be affiliated with EMAME. We need to check the mushroom growth of predatory journals. Each country needs to look into it and the regulatory bodies are expected to play their role. We should lay emphasis on quality of publications rather than quantity. Every country has some good quality standard journals. He commended the efforts of EMAME for its efforts to promote the discipline of medical journalism in the region, some of its members particularly from Pakistan and Iran have been quite active organizing workshops on different topics in various countries apart from their own country. We will see how WHO can help in reviving the academic activities under the prevailing circumstances, he added.
Earlier Prof. Farhad Handjani briefed about the founding of EMAME in 2003 at Cairo supported and sponsored by WHO EMRO. The objective of EMAME was to enroll Editors of Journals rather than biomedical journals. He agreed that we need to check the mushroom growth of predatory journals. In Iran, the Journals Commission, he further stated, of which he has been a member, has been taking care of promoting and recognizing standard biomedical journals. WHO always helped us in organizing conferences in different countries by sponsoring some delegates and also providing some financial assistance. Funds were also generated by the local organizing committee. Now there are many people involved in organizing workshops on Scientific Writing in different countries. We need to look at some other special topics. In the past we had well attended meetings in Iran and Pakistan as well besides Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. We even used to invite guest speakers from Europe sponsored by WHO, Pippa Smart and Tim Albert from UK as well as Ana Marusic from Crotia, Karen Shashok from Spain used to attend our meetings and richly contributed to the scientific programme. We also need to look into the use of social media like Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp for educational activities, he added.
Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid highlighted the activities of EMAME and its accomplishments so far. During its early days Ms Jane Nicholson and Dr. Najeeb Shorbaji had played a very important role in initiating the academic activities of EMAME. We expect similar help and assistance from WHO EMRO in future as well. He also referred to the Certificate Course in Medical Editing, Advance Certificate Course in Medical Editing leading to Diploma in Medical Journalism. It is a joint initiative by Pakistan Association of Medical Editors (PAME) and University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore. He also shared the details of this training programme which includes two contact sessions of four days each, four tests during these sessions, five assignments, preparation of portfolio, its evaluation by independent experts and Viva. In the advance course the second contact session of four days is arranged at Karachi where the participants spend one day each at the three Impact Factor Journals i.e. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, Journal of Pakistan Medical Association and Journal of Collee of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan.
All these journals follow different business models and the participants observe working in these journals from submission to publication. They prepare reports and then are required to make individual as well as group presentations, prepare portfolio and then appear in Viva. During this advance course facilitator from University of Punjab are also involved who discuss issues related to Health Journalism and use of social media. During the first two sessions, we enrolled the Editors of various journals with the result that now the number of Impact Factor Journals from Pakistan has increased from three to twelve which is one of our accomplishment. So far six batches of Certificate Course in Medical Editing and two batches of Advance Certificate Course in Medical Editing have completed training. We enjoy special help and assistance from CPSP in organizing this Internship course at Karachi, he remarked.
Responding to a question from Dr. Arshad Altaf about the financial viability and sustainability of EMAME activities, Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid stated that all the funds for these academic activities are generated by the local organizers. Even if we get another chance to organize an EMAME meeting, we can do that but needs some assistance from WHO to ensure participation from other countries. He suggested that we need to activate and make the Website and List Serve functional on priority basis. We also need to hold elections as soon as the prevailing geopolitical situation improves in the region. So far no country is prepared to host the meeting. He reiterated his request to WHO EMRO for its participation in the 6th PAME National Conference on Medical Journals being organized at University of Health Sciences Lahore with the collaboration of EMAME on October 21st 2024. Dr. Rashidian assured that they will discuss it and if any staff member is available, might attend in person otherwise we will definitely participate through Video presentation. We will take the final decision soon, he remarked.
Prof. Farhad Handjani suggested that let us continue such meetings on Zoom and in future we can also invite other EMAME Executive Committee members and important editors from other countries as well and seek their suggestions to help revive academic activities of EMAME. It was agreed to continue this communication and try to chalk out some scientific programme for the training of editors in the region in the days to come. Prof. Farhad Handjani and Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid thanked WHO for their help and assistance for organizing this meeting.
