The World Well being Group and member nations within the Southeast Asia area are prioritizing enhancing the epidemiology workforce on the bottom as a part of strengthening capacities to answer well being emergencies.
“One of many classes of the COVID-19 pandemic is that epidemiology personnel within the area are a elementary part of nationwide well being safety programs. Continued efforts are wanted to spend money on strengthening area epidemiological capacities,” mentioned Ms Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia, in her message on the three-day Regional Session: Advancing Capacities of area epidemiology in Southeast Asia of the WHO. Area” held right here this week.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, area epidemiologists carried out varied features equivalent to coordination, planning, monitoring, surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, and many others.
Be it outbreaks of ailments like dengue, flu, Nipah, measles, foodborne diseases, and many others., or after pure calamities like earthquakes, cyclones and floods, area epidemiologists have performed an essential position in surveillance, threat evaluation and response.
Having a ready and certified well being workforce with area epidemiology coaching packages (FETP) strengthens a rustic's capability to emerge and reply to future occasions.
The panorama surrounding FETP is evolving with rising calls for in areas of zoonotic ailments, antimicrobial resistance, genomics and non-communicable ailments.
Moreover, new applied sciences are rising that require a brand new scope of competencies, equivalent to information science, superior analytics, and environmental and wastewater monitoring.
The three-day session from February 20 to 22, attended by well being ministries, technical companies and companions, reviewed progress, classes and challenges in strengthening area epidemiological capacities within the Area.
“We have to handle the essential points that come up from these challenges to make sure ample area epidemiological capabilities at subnational and native ranges, to facilitate efficient and regionally acceptable studying in order that college students purchase sensible expertise to hold out surveillance, area investigations and efficient threat assessments. ”mentioned the regional director.
Importantly, we want the institutionalization and sustainability of FETPs in order that these capabilities can contribute to important public well being features, together with main well being care.
The Regional Director emphasised collaboration and partnerships amongst nations within the Area, in addition to strengthening the participation of multi-sectoral stakeholders, together with 'One Well being' stakeholders, to advertise well being safety and resilience of well being programs.
“Allow us to keep in mind that our collective efforts are key to constructing a more healthy, safer and extra resilient Southeast Asia. Collectively, allow us to form a future by which our Area is best ready, extra resilient and extra competent to face any public well being problem,” mentioned the Regional Director.
Thailand was the primary nation within the Area to ascertain the FETP, greater than 40 years in the past. Indonesia established the FETP in 1982, India in 1996 and Bangladesh in 2013. These nations have established a well-established FETP with three ranges: superior, intermediate and first-line. Whereas Nepal not too long ago began frontline FETP programs, the Maldives and Timor-Leste are launching packages to construct area epidemiological capabilities.
Selling the One Well being method, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh have FETP veterinary epidemiology.