Strengthening Applied Epidemiology in West Africa: Progress, Gaps, and Advancing a Regional Strategy to Improve Health Security
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Date
2021
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Health Security
Abstract
The ability to prevent, promptly detect, and appropriately respond to a public health threat is essential for health security.
Field epidemiology training has helped increase the quality and quantity of the public health workforce to strengthen disease
surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and general public health capacity. We conducted a desk review on the
status of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program model in 16 countries in West Africa. We also developed
a questionnaire and shared it with West African Health Organization (WAHO) member states to document their experiences
and the status of training in their countries. WAHO organized a regional 3-day consultative meeting with major stakeholders
in the region to examine progress, gaps, and challenges, and outline a roadmap to strengthen the Field Epidemiology and
Laboratory Training Program. Stakeholders shared their experiences, engaged in discussions to identify strengths and gaps,
and made plans for a way forward. Member states are at different levels of implementing field epidemiology and laboratory
training programs in their countries, and, therefore, major gaps remain in the number and distribution of trained episode biologists throughout West Africa. Member states implement different variants of the program and in some instances, the
same cadre of health workers are trained in different but comparable programs with different funding streams. Two member
states had not begun implementing the training program. Developing regional centers of excellence was recommended in the
long term while collaboration among member states to train the required number of epidemiologists to fill the acute needs
could be helpful in the short and medium term. Curriculum harmonization and expansion, deployment and use of trained epidemiologists, accreditation of training institutions, and generation of indigenous funding streams are recommended to
improve the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program in West Africa.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Field epidemiology, Surveillance, Outbreak response, Workforce development