For the past three years, TEPHINET has been a CDC partner in developing national public health institutes (NPHIs) around the world. Like the CDC, NPHIs are data-driven public health agencies that are well-positioned to contain local health threats before they become global health threats.
Recently, TEPHINET provided logistical arrangements for two meetings held by CDC in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), focused on planning for a new NPHI in country. The output of these meetings, which were held in late September and late October, was a concept note outlining the overall vision for the creation of the NPHI, including its proposed mission and objectives, structure, funding, and timeline for development.
Given the DRC’s high risk of epidemic-prone diseases such as Ebola, cholera, yellow fever and polio, there is strong support for the establishment of an NPHI within the local government.
Since 1976, the DRC has experienced 10 Ebola epidemics. The resulting effects on the mortality and the socioeconomic wellbeing of people living in affected areas highlight the need to lay a stronger groundwork for public health interventions. NPHIs can provide more interconnected public health programs operating under a single structure. In addition, they can provide career opportunities for field epidemiology training program alumni.
“By supporting the development of NPHIs, we are hopefully building awareness of the importance of field epidemiology to health security and contributing to public health workforce development,” says TEPHINET project manager Lesley Guyot.
Learn more about NPHI development at CDC
Learn more about Ebola virus disease