European Programme For Intervention Epidemiology Training Research Articles

Field Epidemiology and Public Health Microbiology training: capturing the alumni perspectives of the training's impact.

We present the findings from the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) Alumni Network (EAN) Member Survey conducted in October to December 2021. The EAN consists of field epidemiologists (EPIET) and public health microbiologists (European Public Health Microbiology Training Programme (EUPHEM)) who stay connected after their 2-year fellowship. This active alumni network provides opportunities for career development, mentorship, knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices for community members, affiliated professionals and public health organisations in Europe. Overall, 281 of 732 members participated in the survey. Of the 192 European fellowship alumni respondents, 173 (90%) indicated that skills and competencies acquired during their fellowship improved performance in their role compared with their abilities before the fellowship. Reported skills and competencies that could be further strengthened included data management/analysis, communication, mathematical modelling and leadership/team management. The EAN Member Survey provides valuable feedback to the EAN, as well as the fellowship programme offices at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and affiliated field epidemiology programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how essential cross-border collaborations are for continued European health security. Maintaining and increasing the professional, well-trained workforce remains crucial for optimal response to infectious diseases and protection of public health.

Field Epidemiology: Fit for the future.

In recent years, field epidemiologists have embraced rapidly evolving digital tools, data sources and technologies, and collaborated with an ever-growing field of scientific specialisms. The COVID-19 pandemic put field epidemiology under unprecedented demand and scrutiny. As the COVID-19 emergency recedes, it is timely to reflect on the core values of our profession and the unique challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In November 2022, alumni of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) and the European Public Health Microbiology (EUPHEM) training programme celebrated 25 years of EPIET, and the present and future of field epidemiology was discussed. The output was recorded and qualitatively analysed. This Perspective reflects the authors' interpretation of the discussion. We should reaffirm our commitment to field epidemiology's core strengths: competence and rigour in epidemiology, surveillance, outbreak investigation and applied research, leading to timely and actionable evidence for public health. Our future success will be defined by an ability to adapt, collaborate, harness innovation, communicate and, ultimately, by our tangible impact on protecting and improving health.

New perspectives after the transition of EPIET to ECDC – the future of the programme

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.

Contribution of EPIET to public health workforce in the EU, 1995-2008

We analyse activities and outputs of fellows of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) between 1995 and 2008 and describe the employment history of graduates after the training to demonstrate the contribution of this programme and of national EPIET-associated programmes to the public health workforce in the European Union and Norway. Up to 2008, some 161 fellows entered the training: 121 in EPIET and 40 in EPIET-associated programmes. Of these 149 were awarded a diploma. Fellows engaged in projects in all areas of surveillance, in outbreaks and field investigations and produced 340 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Seventy fellows were sent to 98 individual assignments on 65 international missions. The vast majority of graduates (90%) take up a position and remain employed in applied public health, either on regional, national or international level. Several (27) are working outside the EU, all in public health, including 13 working in Switzerland for international organisations. Only three of the 12 EU Member States that joined the EU since 2004, employ EPIET graduates. A major challenge for training the public health workforce is the retention of professionals in countries with limited job opportunities or wages significantly below the EU average.

Intervention epidemiology training programs in Germany and Europe. An investment in our future

ZusammenfassungAusbrüche von Infektionskrankheiten, wie z. B. SARS und Influenza, können weitgreifende Folgen für die Gesellschaft haben. Daher kommt der Ausbildung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlern bei der Kontrolle von Infektionskrankheiten eine große Bedeutung zu. Die deutsche Postgraduiertenausbildung für angewandte Epidemiologie (PAE) am Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) und das European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) bemühen sich, dieser Herausforderung zu begegnen. Seit Bestehen konnten 27 Personen die PAE und 12 Personen deutscher Herkunft das EPIET-Programm beginnen. Von 36 Absolventen waren 17 unmittelbar nach dem Abschluss des Trainings am RKI in regionalen oder lokalen Gesundheitsbehörden in Deutschland tätig gewesen. Seit 2006 konnte die Anzahl der jährlich ausgebildeten Nachwuchswissenschaftler der PAE von 3 auf 6 erhöht werden, die des EPIET von 9 auf 19. Zudem sind 5 Landesstellen als Ausbildungsstätten in die PAE aufgenommen worden. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen EPIET und PAE ist innerhalb der letzten Jahre verstärkt und diversifiziert worden. Absolventen dieser Ausbildungsprogramme werden mittelund langfristig eine Schlüsselrolle im Schutz gegen Infektionskrankheiten in Deutschland und Europa spielen.

The Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in Germany

The German Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), which started in January 1996, is part of a national effort to improve research capacity for the epidemiology of infectious diseases in Germany. The aim of the two year programme is to develop a cadre of epidemiologists capable of performing outbreak investigations, epidemiological research, and surveillance at an international standard measured in articles published in international peer-reviewed journals. These epidemiologists will also be instructed to train future epidemiologists and public health personnel. The programme is similar to the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET). The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research funded the costs of a senior epidemiologist who was seconded from the CDC to help initiate this programme.

The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training.

The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) provides practical experience in infectious disease epidemiology. EPIET aims to create a network of professionals throughout Europe trained to use a standard approach in intervention ep