Background

An FETP is a service-based training program whose purpose is to train public health workers at all levels of the public health system in the principles and practices of field epidemiology as they provide service to their countries. The FETP design is rooted on the premise that better trained health workers result in an improved public health system.

In recent years, CDC and MoHs have recognized the importance of strengthening the capacity of the public health workforce at all levels of the public health system. In response, a three-tiered training model was created to strengthen surveillance and epidemiology capacity at all levels of a country’s health system, from the district to the directorate to the national level.

Training approach

All three tiers use the same approach of condensed classroom instruction (<25%) followed by field placements (>75%) to gain experience and competence in field epidemiology. Classroom instruction focuses on epidemiologic practice rather than theory and uses an interactive problem-solving approach, with frequent exercises and case studies to reinforce lecture material. Field placements focus on investigations, projects, and other activities under the mentorship of experienced epidemiologists that support the MoHP mission and priorities.

Egypt FETP

The Egypt FETP was the second Field Epidemiology Training Program to develop within the Eastern Mediterranean region. The advanced-level (two-year) program began in 1993 in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2017, we introduced the frontline level with the coordination of EMPHNET. And in 2021, we introduced the first cohort of the intermediate level due to the increased need for epidemiologists after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Egypt FETP is a vital component of the Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance within the Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt. It is an institutionalized program, signifying its integration into the ministry's structure and its recognition as a crucial aspect of public health training and capacity building. This integration ensures that the FETP aligns with the ministry's strategic goals and contributes to the overall improvement of public health practices in Egypt.

Most of the program's graduates have continued their public health careers after graduation working as epidemiologists to serve the preventive sector of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population and have filled leadership positions at central and governorate levels. Several graduates are working for the World Health Organization (WHO), African CDC, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and other international non-governmental organizations. Benefits to the MoHP

• Increased capacity among staff to recognize and respond to public health problems in a timely and vigorous manner
• Increased completion and accuracy of surveillance data reporting and analysis
• Stronger culture of data-based decision making
• A network of well-trained field epidemiologists and public health managers in the country
• Graduates count towards the World Health Organization and Global Health Security goal of 1 epidemiologist per 200,000 population