Afghanistan Field Epidemiology Training Program

Program overview

Afghanistan FETP (AFETP) is an Intermediate, one-year national training program established with support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (GHD/EMPHNET) at the beginning of 2019. Previously, 16 health professionals were trained, including 3 by Pakistan FELTP and 13 by Afghan Tajik FETP (one veterinarian). The AFETP is currently functional and accommodated in Afghanistan National Public Health Institute (ANPHI) which is a General Directorate under the organization of Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Afghanistan. It was established to build the capacity of MoPH to detect, investigate and respond to infectious diseases as well as to support the design and implementation of epidemiological projects. The program is supervised by a steering committee consisting of experts and authorities from the MoPH. 

Achievements

A mentor's workshop was conducted in Amman, Jordan in January 2019, in coordination with CDC and GHD/EMPHNET and trained a group of mentors and facilitators to support and train the residents. In February 2019, a screening workshop was conducted in Kabul, Afghanistan in which 41 volunteers participated. 30 were selected by MoPH to continue as AFETP residents, including one veterinarian from Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. The first two weeks of the workshop were conducted in March-April 2019 and were facilitated and supported by Afghan experts. The residents are back in the field and, with support of their mentors, are implementing the field assignments during their routine work.