Laboratory Epidemiologist: Skilled Partner in Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance in Kenya

Njenga, M. Kariuki; Traicoff, Denise; Tetteh, Christopher; Likimani, Sopiato; Oundo, Joseph; Breiman, Robert F.; Nyamongo, Jack; Burke, Heather; Nsubuga, Peter; White, Mark

doi:10.1057/jphp.2008.3

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Host country MOHs (and ministries of agriculture for programs with veterinarians) also contributed significant resources, usually in kind (e.g., space for the program, ancillary facilities, and field sites). CDC provided supplementary funding through various initiatives for example the Global Disease Detection program in Kenya from 2006 and PEPFAR provided some support to the Zimbabwe PHSWOW [16,24]. The donor cost of implementing an FELTP ranges between US $ 1-2 million per year at inception.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The class size of the first cohort ranged from 10 to 15 with a mix of field epidemiology, public health laboratory, and veterinary candidates. The training strategy and competencies and expected outputs have been described elsewhere and are similar for all FELTPs in sub-Saharan Africa [16]. …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uganda only participated in the laboratory epidemiology track (as they have their own PHSWOW). Soon after inception, with its added value of a laboratory epidemiology track, the Kenya FELTP became the model of the new generation of field epidemiology programs in sub-Saharan Africa which are now all FELTPs [16]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010: need, the process, and prospects

Nsubuga¹,

Johnson²,

Tetteh³

et al. 2011

Pan Afr Med Jrnl

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As of 2010 sub-Saharan Africa had approximately 865 million inhabitants living with numerous public health challenges. Several public health initiatives [e.g., the United States (US) President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the US President's Malaria Initiative] have been very successful at reducing mortality from priority diseases. A competently trained public health workforce that can operate multi-disease surveillance and response systems is necessary to build upon and sustain these successes and to address other public health problems. Sub-Saharan Africa appears to have weathered the recent global economic downturn remarkably well and its increasing middle class may soon demand stronger public health systems to protect communities. The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been the backbone of public health surveillance and response in the US during its 60 years of existence. EIS has been adapted internationally to create the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in several countries. In the 1990s CDC and the Rockefeller Foundation collaborated with the Uganda and Zimbabwe ministries of health and local universities to create 2-year Public Health Schools Without Walls (PHSWOWs) which were based on the FETP model. In 2004 the FETP model was further adapted to create the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) in Kenya to conduct joint competency-based training for field epidemiologists and public health laboratory scientists providing a master's degree to participants upon completion. The FELTP model has been implemented in several additional countries in sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of 2010 these 10 FELTPs and two PHSWOWs covered 613 million of the 865 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and had enrolled 743 public health professionals. We describe the process that we used to develop 10 FELTPs covering 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010 as a strategy to develop a locally trained public health workforce that can operate multi-disease surveillance and response systems.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010: need, the process, and prospects

Nsubuga¹,

Johnson²,

Tetteh³

et al. 2011

Pan Afr Med Jrnl

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“…To address Ethiopia's shortage of skilled public health staff, CDC collaborated with a local university and a local non-governmental organization (NGO) to conduct the first Leadership in Strategic Information (LSI) course for Ethiopia 2006-2007. Two of CDC's existing programs, the Field Epidemiology Training Programs [9-13], and Data for Decision Making short course [5], served as a model for LSI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leadership in strategic information (LSI) building skilled public health capacity in Ethiopia

et al. 2011

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BackgroundIn many developing countries, including Ethiopia, few have the skills to use data for effective decision making in public health. To address this need, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with two local Ethiopian organizations, developed a year long Leadership in Strategic Information (LSI) course to train government employees working in HIV to use data from strategic information sources. A process evaluation of the LSI course examined the impact of the training on trainees' skills and the strengths and weaknesses of the course. The evaluation consisted of surveys and focus groups.FindingsTrainees' skill sets increased in descriptive and analytic epidemiology, surveillance, and monitoring and evaluation (M and E). Data from the evaluation indicated that the course structure and the M and E module required revision in order to improve outcomes. Additionally, the first cohort had a high attrition rate. Overall, trainees and key stakeholders viewed LSI as important in building skilled capacity in public health in Ethiopia.ConclusionThe evaluation provided constructive insight in modifying the course to improve retention and better address trainees' learning needs. Subsequent course attrition rates decreased as a result of changes made based on evaluation findings.

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“…In the mid-1990s Public Health School Without Walls (PHSWOW) were established in Zimbabwe and Uganda to link ministries of health with universities providing two year master's degree training on management, economics, and epidemiology [2]. The first Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), a two year competency-based program in applied epidemiology and laboratory practice, was created in 2004 in Kenya as a regional program to help address the shortage of advanced trained public health professionals in Kenya and neighboring countries [3]. After two years FELTP graduates return to their respective countries to build public health capacity through the development and operation of disease surveillance and response systems amongst other critical public health responsibilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influenza preparedness and response: Involvement of African Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs, 2009

Preacely¹,

Nsubuga²

2011

Pan Afr Med Jrnl

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Laboratory Epidemiologist: Skilled Partner in Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance in Kenya

Cited by 20 publications

References 6 publications

Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010: need, the process, and prospects

Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010: need, the process, and prospects

Leadership in strategic information (LSI) building skilled public health capacity in Ethiopia

Influenza preparedness and response: Involvement of African Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs, 2009

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