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Forum seeks international consensus |
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Posted on 30 April 2008
Various approaches to communicable disease surveillance and prevention by Asian countries were harmonized in an international gathering of health authorities, which was organized by PRIMEX in Manila on 31 March – 1 April 2008 as part of the ADB regional technical assistance to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and response to communicable diseases in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines (RETA 6305). The Technical Forum on Applied Epidemiology Training focused on the need for better financing, human resource development, and networking for more efficient communicable disease surveillance and prevention. Its primary objective was to help participating countries to (i) strengthen existing plans for human resource development for ESR; (ii) estimate the cost of conducting training programs for applied epidemiology for the needs of the entire country; (iii) discuss, identify, and agree on approaches to keep trained staff updated; and (iv) discuss/agree on how the countries in the region can share and network resources for epidemiology training programs. In Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other countries in the region, the main program for producing trained ESR manpower is the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). It is a two-year training program designed to develop professional epidemiologists who will be responsible for managing the ESR system of a country and perform disease surveillance and response functions. The FETP program, however, continues to face challenges regarding funding, curriculum design, continuing education, accreditation, and credentialing. "Although there is general agreement that the FETP approach has strengthened the capacity of many countries to conduct surveillance and response activities at the national level, there appears to be no clear consensus on the approaches and strategies in building surveillance and response capacities at the sub-national and local levels," commented PRIMEX President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elvira C. Ablaza in her welcome address. The Forum may not have answered all issues and questions regarding applied epidemiology training, but Ablaza said that the participants’ "collective sharing of valuable experiences and lessons learned will help country leaders in making informed decisions and the right choices." The Forum had participants from ADB, the World Health Organization (WHO) country offices (Indonesia and Philippines), other regional institutions like TEPHINET, and the health ministries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The Workshop also gathered FETP alumni from Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines. RETA 6305 has been assisting the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in the assessment and improvement of their capacity to conduct epidemiological surveillance and to respond in an effective manner to threats of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) within and across the three countries. The Project is assisting the three countries meet the requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR) of 2005 and comply with the Asia Pacific Strategy of Emerging Diseases (APSED). Back to Top |Back to News/Events
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