Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program
Program overview
The Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (NFELTP) is a workforce development strategy of the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development implemented by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) with technical and financial support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NFELTP is founded on the One World, One Health paradigm and trains epidemiologists in three tracks (medical, veterinary, and laboratory) in affiliation with two master of public health-awarding Nigerian universities: Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, and the University of Ibadan. It is currently being transitioned to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Achievements
NFELTP has graduated nine successive cohorts and is currently (as of November 2021) training its tenth and eleventh cohorts. The graduates and residents constitute a significant part of the workforce at the National Public Health Institute in the country. As of 2021, 334 trainees have graduated from the Advanced level and 1,116 trainees have graduated from the frontline level. The first cohort of 15 residents is currently undergoing the Intermediate FETP training. Graduates and residents played a crucial role in the containment of the 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Nigeria, supported the response in other West African countries, and have helped to set up FETPs in those countries. The FETP has played a pivotal role in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NFELTP has participated in all TEPHINET, AFENET, and Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) International Night conferences since its inception and has won several awards.