Liberia Field Epidemiology Training Program

Liberia FETP January 2020 Bulletin

Moving from Response to Capacity Building

The 2014/2015 Ebola epidemic in Liberia destabilized health systems and revealed weaknesses in disease surveillance and response in the country. After the Ebola outbreak, the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was introduced to contribute to strategies for the National Health Investment Plan. LFETP is to help:- develop a fit-for-purpose, productive & motivated health workforce & strengthen epidemic preparedness, surveillance and response systems.

LFETP was established by the Ministry of Health, owned by the National Public Health Institute of Liberia with financial and technical support from US CDC and AFENET.

Pre-service training for Liberian medical students

A pre-service training for 31 final-year students of the A.M. Dogliotti (AMD) College of Medicine, Liberia was held in the medical school from January 7 – 24, 2020. It included 2 workshops and fieldwork. The training provided the medical students’ an orientation in Public Health, IDSR, field epidemiology, and research methods. Participants visited public health institutions to gain practical insight into their mission and operations. The graduation ceremony was presided over by Dr. Mosoka Fallah, the Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia. At the event held on January 24, 2020, the students expressed their appreciation for the educative and practical training.

Pic 1: Students interacted with Dr Desmond Williams, Country Director for CDC Liberia during Workshop 1
Pic 2: A cross section of the students being briefed about AFENET operations by Ms. Himiede Wilson at the AFENET Liberia office
Pic 3: Director General at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Dr. Mosoka Fallah awarding a certificate
Pic 4: Participants, LFETP facilitators, and AMD faculty after the graduation ceremony
Pic 3: Director General at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Dr. Mosoka Fallah awarding a certificate
Pic 4: Participants, LFETP facilitators, and AMD faculty after the graduation ceremony

Frontline Cohort 11 Workshop 2

The second workshop for Frontline Cohort 11 was held from January 27 to 31, 2020. The cohort comprises 19 participants from diverse backgrounds: health facility surveillance persons, National Reference Laboratory personnel, the Military, Police, and National Disaster Management officers, amongst others.

Workshop 2 covered outbreak investigation, scientific presentations, the role of the lab, and fishbone problem analysis method.

Pic 5: A participant being critiqued on her Fieldwork 1 presentation
Pic 5: A participant being critiqued on her Fieldwork 1 presentation

Intermediate Cohort 4 Pre-Admission Course

Pic 6: Director at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and LFETP Program Director, Thomas Nagbe takes the class through a session
Thirty-one applicants for the Intermediate FETP benefitted from a 3-day pre-admission course. An assessment at the end of the course served as a basis for the final selection of 17 into Intermediate Cohort 4.
Workshop 1 is scheduled for February 3 – 12, 2020.

Acknowledgements: MoH – Liberia, National Public Health Institute of Liberia,  US CDC , AFENET, Liberia FETP Mentors, trainees and graduates