20 Oct 2022

First graduates of the frontline field epidemiology training programme have been urged to use their knowledge to improve public health services.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Gaborone on Wednesday, acting Minister of Health, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, said graduates should be given the recognition they deserved.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic made it crucial for the country to build a robust, resilient and sustainable public health system, therefore frontline field epidemiology officers were critical to achieve the objective.

He added that the Ministry of Health was also determined to strengthen the country's public health response capacities.

Mr Lelatisitswe noted that the frontline field epidemiology training programme was an in-service competency based training in applied epidemiology and public health.

He added that it would enhance the national capacity for effective disease surveillance and response.

Mr Lelatisitswe also said the training would build the public health system operational research capacity as well as programme monitoring and evaluation.

For her part, the charge d’ affairs at the United States embassy, Ms Amanda Jacobsen said it was an honour for her to witness the graduation of the first cohort of the field epidemiology training programme.

She said the US was building on over 40 years’ of experience in supporting ministries of health in over 80 countries around the world and that they were proud to be part of the effort to revitalise the programme in Botswana.

She also noted that Botswana and the US had worked hand-in-hand for decades and they had a long standing collaborations to strengthen the country's health system.

“For many years, through the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the US has supported the Ministry of Health’s efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics,” said Ms Jacobsen, adding they helped to build laboratory capacity as well as contributing to the global health security initiatives.

She said with the increased appreciation of field epidemiology training programmes globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017 launched the joint external evaluation of IHR core capacities and recommended the relaunching and revitalisation of the field epidemiology training programme, starting with frontline workers.

Ms Jacobsen  congratulated the Ministry of Health and partners such as the African Field Epidemiology Network on the key milestones achieved to date.

She said the consultative stakeholder workshop and the training of trainers and mentors that was conducted in July this year set a firm foundation for the revitalised field epidemiology training programme. BOPA