prof. Dr. Issa Almasarweh

 

Dr. Almasarweh promotes the analysis of national data, legislation, and policies as well as uses evidence geared towards decision-making, and social and economic policymaking to inform the development, reform, implementation, and evaluation of policies, laws, and strategies oriented towards the improvement of family well-being.

Dr. Almasarweh was awarded a UN Fund for Population Activity fellowship toward the completion of doctoral studies at Utah State University, where he obtained a PhD in Sociology with a concentration in Demography and Economic Development. He continued to expand his skills by participating in several capacity building activities at prestigious institutes in the U.S.A focused on computer-based demographic analysis, research techniques and strategic planning for population and reproductive health. He also served as a trainer in several local and regional workshops (sponsored by UN agencies, USAID, EU) on population projections; statistical surveys data analysis; policy analysis and formulation; demographic analysis software; and dissemination of social, population, gender, and vital statistics data.

Dr. Almasarweh has over 25 years of academic, research, consultation, and management experience, in which he has applied sociological, social, demographic and health data analysis, research and training to the formulation of sound population and social policy in Jordan. He is currently the Secretary General of Jordan Higher Population Council.

He previously served as a resident advisor and senior researcher for several USAID-sponsored projects (the Acceptability of Long-Acting Progestin Contraceptive Methods Project, the Lactational Amenorrhea Method and Breastfeeding Support Project, POLICY Project, Health Policy Initiative Project). He held a professor position in the Department of Sociology and Social Work and the Department of Population Studies at the University of Jordan.

Dr. Almasarweh led and participated in several national committees and taskforces charged with revising and updating Jordan’s national strategies. More recently, he participated in and managed several policy-oriented studies that were utilized in developing Jordan National Population Strategy (2000-2020) and the country’s Reproductive Health Action Plan (2003-2007 and 2008-2012), the National Population Strategy 2021-2030, the National Reproductive Health Strategy 2020-2030, and Jordan Implementation Plan for 2019 Nairobi Summit Commitments.

Dr. Almasarweh had also participated in several policy dialogues and contributed to the three most recent editions of the Jordan Demographic Health Survey (DHS) main results report, as well as to a number of local training, advocacy, and project coordination activities. He has solid knowledge of a number of social sciences and demographic and statistical software packages.

Furthermore, Dr. Almasarweh participated in the Post-Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 1994) activities, where he contributed to the development of the UNFPA Programme Review and Strategy Development for the UNFPA Country Program in Jordan (1998- 2002 and 2008-2012). Upon request from the Jordan National< Council for Family Affairs, Dr. Almasarweh reviewed inventory of family-related research and participated in the retreat for developing the Strategic Framework for the National Strategy for Jordanian Family.