Abstract
Strengthening capacity in intervention epidemiology is key to the overall goal of responding to the challenge to detect and counter threats posed by outbreaks of infectious diseases in the European Union (EU). Since its founding in 1995, the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) has become a core resource in training in intervention epidemiology in the EU. EPIET was integrated into the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on 1 November 2007 and this has resulted in an increased sustainability of the programme, allowing for long-term planning. Also, a new training programme, the European public health microbiology training (EUPHEM), was set up in 2008 to increase the response capacity for microbiology. Collaboration with EU Member States and other training programmes has been further intensified. Merging EPIET and other training activities in the ECDC training section has created the opportunity to develop an integrated multilevel approach to training in applied field epidemiology. An integrated approach to training activities on EU level, and increasing the number of EPIET and EPIET-associated fellows are essential to respond to the training needs of EU Member States, particularly new Member States. An external evaluation of EPIET in 2009 will provide guidance for a future strategy for the programme. This article examines the achievements of the EPIET programme after its transition to ECDC and provides an outlook on its future.
Highlights
The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) was created in 1995 [1, 2]
The aim of this two-year pilot training is to develop a European network of public health microbiologists, a response capacity for microbiology inside and beyond the European Union (EU) and to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and control through an integrated laboratory-field epidemiology network for outbreak detection, investigation and response European public health microbiology training (EUPHEM) fellows are placed in national public health laboratories and carry out outbreak investigations, surveillance and research activities in close collaboration with epidemiologists
Integration of EPIET into European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) The transition of EPIET from an EU funded project to ECDC has resulted in increased sustainability of the programme
Summary
The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) was created in 1995 [1, 2]. Fellows spend 23 months at a training site at a national or regional centre for surveillance and control of communicable diseases in an EU Member State or Norway [4, 5], different from the country of origin of the fellow. The European Commission and EU Member States were funding the programme and the salaries of the fellows on a project basis.
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