September 20, 2004

AUA Hosts International Public Health Conference

The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) selected the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) College of Health Sciences, in conjunction with Armenia’s Ministry of Health, to host the XXVII Annual ASPHER conference to be held from September 17-25, 2005. The conference "Educating the Public Health Workforce: Development Perspectives for the European and Mediterranean Regions," is the first time to be hosted by a former Soviet Republic and coincides with the 10th Anniversary of the College of Health Sciences. Over 200 hundred delegates from countries of Eastern Europe and the Middle East are expected to attend the Yerevan conference.

ASPHER is an association of institutions committed to strengthening the public’s health by improving the training of public health professionals for both practice and research within the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. Deans and directors of schools of public health and health management, as well as faculty members, students, and representatives of professional public health organizations from the region, will be present.

At AUA’s initiative, the ASPHER conference will formally involve several schools of public health and health management from WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region. AUA President and Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Haroutune Armenian, noted, "We are delighted to bring this prestigious conference to Armenia and to share with our colleagues from Europe Armenia’s progress in the public health field. We are pleased that Armenia’s geographic proximity to the Middle East enables AUA to reach out and include participation from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region."

AUA’s College of Health Sciences is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The MPH program has graduated approximately 100 students who now occupy key positions in the private and public health sectors, including Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Health. The College, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Armenia, also sponsors the School for Health Care Management and Administration (SHCMA). The SHCMA is led by former Minister of Health Mihran Nazaretyan and provides continuing education in health management and related areas.