Article

Bridging continents: postgraduate infectious diseases training programs from central Europe to Southeast Asia

Selcen ÖncüDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydın, TurkeyHakan ErdemDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Turkish Health Sciences University, Gülhane School of Medicine, Ankara, TurkeyZeliha Koçak TufanDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, TurkeySS Al-AbriThe Royal Hospital, Muscat, OmanMuna Al MaslamaniDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Communicable Disease Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QatarJamal WadiJordan Hospital, Amman, JordanSinan AlrifaiAhmed R. AlsuwaidiDepartment of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAEAltaf AhmedRusmir BaljićBojana BeovičUniversity Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaRok ČivljakDr. Fran Mihaljevic University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, HR, Zagreb, CroatiaAmangul DuisenovaDepartment of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, KazakhstanDilruba GarashovaCenter for Infectious Diseases, Baku, AzerbaijanKrsto GrozdanovskiHospital for Infectious Diseases, Skopje, Republic of North MacedoniaArjan HarxhiFaculty of Medicine, Infectious Disease Department, Tirana, AlbaniaTiberiu HolbanInfectious Diseases Clinical Hospital Toma Ciorba, Chisinau, MoldovaSouha S. KanjAmerican University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, LebanonSuresh KumarHospital Sungai Buloh, Sungai Buloh, Selengor, MalaysiaAinura KutmanovaInternational Higher School of Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyz RepublicMasoud MardaniZiad A. MemishKing Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center & College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USAEgidia MiftodeInfectious Diseases Sf. ParaschevaIasi, Iasi, RomaniaSadie NamaniPinea Medical Center, Prishtina, KosovoSerkan ÖncüDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydın, TurkeyMichael M. PetrovFaculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology "Prof. Elissay Yanev", Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, BulgariaTomislav PrevedenPresident of Serbian ID Society, Belgrade, SerbiaN. PshenichnayaCentral Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow, RussiaBilal Ahmad RahimiKandahar University Teaching Hospital, Kandahar, AfghanistanAbdurashid OblokulovBukhara Medical University after named Abu Ali ibn Sino, Bukhara, UzbekistanYeşim TaşovaDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, TurkeySotirios TsiodrasAttikon University Hospital, Athens, GreeceGeorge M. VargheseChristian Medical Hospital, Vellore, India

Infectionjournal2025en

ABI

Abstract

PURPOSE: Increasing travel, climate change, spread of antimicrobial resistance and pandemics increased the need for well-trained infectious diseases (ID) specialists and qualified ID specialist training for protecting public health all over the world. In this study, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of ID specialty training programs for standardization and quality improvement in a large geographical area. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among national respondents of 29 countries [Central Asia (Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan), the Middle East (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon), Southeast Europe (Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Croatia), Eastern Europe (Russia, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan), Southeast Asia (Malaysia), Türkiye] to evaluate the structure and components of ID training programs. RESULTS: In this study, structural variability in ID training programs was notable. 65.5% of the countries offered independent specialty program, 59% of the countries reported a required exam for entry into the ID specialization. Nearly all of the countries had a formal training curriculum; written exams were the most common used assessment method. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive overview of ID specialty training across diverse regions, highlighting major structural differences in curricula, training duration, and national standards. Its broad geographic scope and contributions from actively engaged ID educators offer a unique global perspective. The findings underscore the urgent need for harmonized training frameworks, the strengthening of national curricula, and the promotion of international collaboration and inclusive strategies, all essential for developing a skilled, competent and resilient global ID workforce.

Topics

Antibiotic Use and Resistance Zoonotic diseases and public health Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1007/s15010-025-02597-7

Citations and references

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