TEPHINET Director Visits Chile Ahead of Frontline FETP Launch

The South American region is currently home to seven Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs), with one more on the way. Representatives from Chile’s Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud, or MINSAL) have been working closely with TEPHINET, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC South America Regional Office (CDC-SAM), and the network of South American FETPs (REDSUR) for about a year to develop and launch a Frontline FETP aimed at building knowledge, skills and competencies in field epidemiology for public health officials working at the local, regional and central levels. Frontline FETP training consists of a basic, three-month course aimed at quickly increasing local public health practitioners’ knowledge and skills in disease surveillance and outbreak response.

As part of this initiative, TEPHINET Director Dr. Carl Reddy and Project Manager Claudia Moya joined partners in Chile from July 18-22 to review objectives and methods for the budding program. Over the course of a week, TEPHINET, CDC, REDSUR, and FETP Chile came together for in-person working sessions to review the proposed curriculum, training schedule, competencies, and logistical aspects of program implementation. The meetings also included virtual presentations from the Sierra Leone and Ecuador FETPs on their experiences implementing FETP Frontline in their countries. 

Chile plans to launch FETP Frontline in September 2022 with an anticipated 20 fellows in the first cohort.