The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Egypt's Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) as a WHO collaborating centre, recognising its contributions to disease surveillance, outbreak investigations and public health emergency preparedness, the organisation announced on Monday.

The designation took effect on 6 July 2026 for an initial four-year period, establishing a framework for technical cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and public health workforce development across the Eastern Mediterranean region.

"This designation is an important step towards strengthening health security across the Eastern Mediterranean region," said Annette Heinzelmann, WHO's regional emergency director.