Updates from Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe first year trainees last week had a session on field expectations during which they were oriented on issues related to field core activities, day to day activities, field visits and evaluations. This was in preparation for their maiden field attachment that is scheduled to begin soon. Letters for field attachment have already been sent to field attachment sites.

Dr Gerald Shambira, the acting programme director, last week travelled to Lyon - France for a TEPHINET meeting of programme directors.

The Zimbabwe FETP programme is preparing to send abstracts for the Korea TEPHINET Bi-regional Scientific Conference for South East Asia and Western Pacific. The conference will run from 2 - 6 November 2009.

Updates from Burkina Faso

The West Africa FELTP has secured a position for an NPO to assist with program management and reporting for the next two years.

During the month of June, the program was able to:

The program plans to launch the master course in October 2009.

Dr. Sennen Hounton- West Africa FELTP Coordinator was in Lyon- France last week, attending the TEPHINET meeting of programme directors.

Updates from Nigeria

The residents completed their second cluster didactic training on June 12th 2009 and are now on field attachment. The third cluster of didactic training is scheduled for October 2009.

Four residents will take part in the national Integrated Disease Surveillance Response (IDSR) implementation assessment which begins on 13 July 2009. They recently attended a pre-assessment meeting and participated in development of the protocol.

The program plans to visit the Zimbabwe and South African programs in early August to familiarize key Nigeria FELTP stakeholders with various aspects of running a field epidemiology and laboratory training program. The program plans to facilitate some of the key stakeholders including Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ibadan, and CDC Nigeria undertake this study tour.

The advertisements for the recruitment of the second cohort of residents are out. The program hopes to admit the new residents in mid- September this year.

The program plans to conduct the 6th outbreak investigation short course in Kaduna city from 27 July 2009. The program is also planning to conduct a zoonotic short course.

The program is designing the Nigeria FELTP EpiTrack to monitor residents’ activities. Plans are also underway to design a website for the NFELTP.

Updates from Kenya

Since May 2009, the Kenya FELTP has been involved in the preparedness and response to the H1N1 outbreak. In May, four residents were involved in sensitization and training of health workers on H1N1. Another resident carried out an audit of the country’s preparedness in terms of commodities (e.g. PEP, tamiflu)

Currently, seven residents are involved Influenza A H1N1pandemic response activities. One resident is participating in the tracing and investigation of the contacts of confirmed cases in Kisumu. The other six residents are involved in sensitization and training of health personnel in different parts of the country namely: Western Kenya, Coast Province, North eastern province, Eastern province, and Nairobi. Some of the hospitals that were visited last week were: Gertrude’s children’s hospital and Coptic hospital in Nairobi, Bondo district hospital in Western Kenya, Migori district Hospital, St Joseph Mission hospital, Kuria Sub district Hospital, Kisii district hospital, Nyangena hospital, Christ Mariena Hopsital, Gatembe Hospital, Hema and Basonga Hospital.

Updates from Tanzania

.Four residents attended a workshop on Injury Epidemiology from 3 to 6 July 2009 at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. The workshop was organized by Peercorps Trust Fund in collaboration with WHO/IPIFA (Injury Prevention Initiative for Africa).

Dr. Peter Mmbuji - the Tanzania FELTP Program Director, last week attended the TEPHINET program directors meeting and workshop of Global Field Epidemiology Capacity Building in Lyon, France.

Residents are preparing for their semester 2 exams which will start on the 20th July 2009.

The two residents who participated in the Chemical poisoning outbreak investigation returned last week from the field.

Updates from Uganda

Field supervision for Year 1 trainees is scheduled to run from 20 26 July 2009.

Year 2 trainees and some alumni are currently involved Epidemic Preparedness and Response Trainings for district health teams from West Nile, Northern and Karamoja regions.

Updates from South Africa

The South African FELTP ran the first part of the short course on Field Epidemiology training from 1 June to 12 June 2009 for all nine provinces. The training was divided into two sessions; one held at KwaZulu Natal and another at NICD. There were a total of 66 participants.

Residents from the 2008 cohort provided technical support to the Tshwane local municipality and district office of Provincial Department of Health during the measles outbreak at the Pretoria Boy High School and hepatitis A outbreak in Pretoria.

13 residents from the 2009 cohort started a three-week module on conducting surveys at the University of Pretoria.

Three research protocols from the 2008 cohort were approved by the assessor committee of the University of Pretoria.

Ms. Mmampedi Huma, another resident from 2007 cohort joined SAFELTP as a staff member.

The visit by key stakeholders of the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program will take place from 3 – 7th August, 2009.

The SAFELTP will have the second site supervisors’ meeting on 29 July, 2009. This will be followed by the second seminar on 30th July, 2009.