Abstract:
Introduction: Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. The One Health approach recognizes that human health, animal health, and environmental health are closely interconnected and interdependent. It promotes collaboration among these three sectors to prevent and control health threats more effectively. In many countries of the West African sub-region, health data are generated through epidemiological surveillance systems and periodic surveys. However, these surveillance systems require strengthening. In this context, with the technical and financial support of AFENET and the Global Fund Project Coordinating Unit (PCU), Côte d’Ivoire undertook the training of health professionals to strengthen its surveillance system. This study aims to describe the implementation of this training program.
Methods: The training program begins with the recruitment and orientation of key health professionals, followed by workshops and field activities. Workshops account for 25% of the training, while field activities represent 75%. Field activities are supervised by mentors and technical staff. The duration of the training is three months for the Frontline level, nine months for the Intermediate level, and two years for the Advanced level. Training methods include interactive presentations, brainstorming sessions, field mentorship, and experience sharing to enhance learning outcomes.
Results: A total of 151 professionals were trained through the Global Fund C19RM project. Among them, 83 completed the Frontline level, 53 the Intermediate level, and 15 the Advanced level. Of the 151 trained professionals, 110 were from the human health sector, 9 from the animal health sector, and 11 from the environmental health sector, across all training levels. During classroom sessions, participants received training in epidemiology and public health, surveillance, outbreak investigation, epidemiological study designs, descriptive statistics, quantitative data analysis software (Epi Info), qualitative data analysis software (NVivo), public health leadership, and scientific communication. In the field, participants produced individual deliverables on data analysis, surveillance system evaluation, case or outbreak investigations, and group projects under the guidance of technical staff and mentors. Field visits were also conducted to support response activities.
Conclusion: The Field Epidemiology Training Program was successfully implemented in Côte d’Ivoire. Participants effectively carried out field activities under the supervision of their mentors. There is a need to continue training more health professionals to strengthen public health surveillance systems, thereby facilitating evidence-based decision-making and improving population well-being.
Keywords: Training, Public Health, Epidemiology, Côte d’Ivoire
Biography:
Rose NINTIN is an Administrative and Logistics Assistant at AFENET Côte d'Ivoire with experience supporting public health programs, workforce development initiatives, and regional capacity-building activities across Africa. She coordinates logistics for trainings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder engagements involving ministries of health, academic institutions, and international partners. Her work focuses on operational efficiency, program coordination, and facilitating collaboration for public health preparedness and response. She is particularly interested in the role of administrative and logistics systems in strengthening One Health implementation and advancing global health security.
