Abstract
BackgroundGiven that many infectious diseases spread rapidly, across borders and species, there is a growing worldwide need to increase the number of public health professionals skilled in controlling infectious epidemics. Needed also are more public health professionals skilled in non-communicable disease surveillance and interventions. As a result, we surveyed all 57 field epidemiology training programmes (FETPs) that are members of the Training Program in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), to evaluate the progress of the FETPs, the only global applied epidemiology network, toward increasing public health capacity globally.MethodsData on the FETP programmes and the training they provide were abstracted from TEPHINET membership surveys and verified with FETP directors for all FETPs that were members of TEPHINET in 2012. Data on abstracts submitted to the recent TEPHINET Global Scientific Conference, on recent accomplishments by each FETP, and on quality improvement were also compiled to provide a worldwide view of the public health human resource capacity produced by these programmes.ResultsA total of 6980 public health professionals worldwide have graduated from an FETP or from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemiology Intelligence Service (EIS). FETP residents and graduates participate in key public health prevention, control, and response activities. Each FETP has adapted its curriculum and objectives over time to align with its country’s public health priorities. FETPs are well integrated into their national public health infrastructures, and they have many partners at the national, regional and global levels.ConclusionFETPs are a competent and diverse source of highly skilled public health professionals who contribute significantly to public health’s global human resource needs. This finding is evidenced by 1) the training curricula that were adapted over time to meet public health’s human resource needs, 2) the FETPs’ continued support from internal and external partners, 3) the increasing number of FETP residents and graduates and their increasing contribution to effective public health work, and 4) the increased quality improvement initiatives facilitated through the FETPs membership in one global network, TEPHINET.
Highlights
Given that many infectious diseases spread rapidly, across borders and species, there is a growing worldwide need to increase the number of public health professionals skilled in controlling infectious epidemics
The number and calibre of public health professionals skilled in preventing and responding to disease epidemics needs to increase to combat the growing number of endemic, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that spread rapidly across borders, through countries and eventually throughout the world [1]. It is the mission of the field epidemiology training programmes (FETPs) to teach these skills, which exist in 57 countries, up from 10 countries in 1997
All 57 FETPs belong to one global network, the Training Program in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with branch offices in Pakistan, Colombia, and Guatemala
Summary
Given that many infectious diseases spread rapidly, across borders and species, there is a growing worldwide need to increase the number of public health professionals skilled in controlling infectious epidemics. The number and calibre of public health professionals skilled in preventing and responding to disease epidemics needs to increase to combat the growing number of endemic, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that spread rapidly across borders, through countries and eventually throughout the world [1]. It is the mission of the field epidemiology training programmes (FETPs) to teach these skills, which exist in 57 countries, up from 10 countries in 1997. To evaluate how well its worldwide network of FETPs is fulfilling the mission to increase public health capacity, TEPHINET compiled data from all 57 FETPs that were part of the global network in 2012, to review common elements of the training curricula, key activities and achievements of the FETP residents and graduates, including the ability to share best practice at scientific conferences, and activities of the global network to improve the quality of training
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