Field epidemiology training
WHO contributes to capacity strengthening for detection and response to outbreaks through developing and enhancing national public health professionals’ competencies in field epidemiology. To accomplish this goal, the activities focus on two main areas:
- support the existing network of field epidemiology training programmes
(i.e Training Programmes in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network, European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training) - integrate field epidemiology into other training programmes.
Highlights 2002-2003
Communicable disease surveillance and control in complex emergencies:
In collaboration with the WHO Communicable Disease Programme on Complex Emergencies, the epidemiology strengthening team developed one-week workshop on surveillance and control of communicable diseases in complex emergencies.
A first workshop was held in Cairo on 27 April – 2 May 2002 with WHO Communicable Disease officers and Ministry of Health national counterparts from 6 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region affected by complex emergencies – Afghanistan (3), Iraq (3), Pakistan (3), Somalia (3), Sudan (3), Yemen (2).
A second workshop was organized in Baghdad, Iraq, in November 2002. Twenty-six public health officers in charge of communicable disease control in governorates of Baghdad, Mosul, Babil and Basrah participated.
A third workshop was held in April 2003 in Tehran, Iran, to improve country preparedness to control of communicable disease in the event of a refugee crisis.
Meeting on Preparation of the Curriculum Planning of Two Training Modules:
In March 2002, a meeting held in Lyon, France was co-organized by WHO and Epicentre to prepare the curriculum planning of a training module on surveillance; and of a training module on the use of laboratory data in epidemiology. Specific training needs and objectives for surveillance and laboratory issues were defined and existing training material on the use of laboratory data in epidemiology was inventoried.