Intermediate Cohort 9’s Journey to Impact
Written by Callum Thirkell - 28 November 2024
Building a foundation (workshops 1 & 2)
In February 2024, a diverse group of ten dedicated health professionals from across Papua New Guinea travelled to Port Moresby, ready to begin the 9th cohort of the Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Program (i-FETP). The group consisted of national surveillance officers, provincial disease control officers, provincial disease surveillance officers, environmental health officers, and health extension officers responsible for surveillance in their district health centres.
The cohort's journey began by laying a solid foundation in disease surveillance principles, outbreak investigation techniques, and the development of field project proposals. Armed with new knowledge, skills and tools, the fellows returned to their respective workplaces to implement their projects.
Nine of the ten fellows returned for the 2nd workshop having successfully completed their field projects. During this training workshop, Fellows presented results from their field projects and designed a public health intervention to be implemented following the workshop.
Proposed interventions focused on:
Surveillance reporting
Service delivery in maternal health
Tuberculosis
Water & sanitation
The i-FETP fosters a collaborative learning environment where participants actively engage in a variety of activities. As part of workshop 2, a desktop outbreak case study was followed by a fully interactive, one-day outbreak simulation which was a huge success, both in enjoyment and learning.
Real world impact (workshop 3)
Ten fellows, including one from Cohort 8, returned for Workshop 3 to present on the implementation and evaluation of their public health interventions.
Interventions included:
Monitoring Timeliness & Completeness of National Syndromic Surveillance
Improving Timeliness & Completeness of Provincial Syndromic Surveillance
Improving Timeliness & Data Quality of AFP Surveillance
Increasing rates of supervised deliveries
Reducing birth complications & improving targeted referrals
Improving access to water for hand washing using Tippi Taps
Increasing case detection of TB
Strengthening Malaria surveillance in a West New Britain district
Strengthening early warning & response through One-Health Frontline FETP
Celebrating cohort 9’s achievments
In September, representatives from USAID, WHO, and NDOH joined us to celebrate the achievements of Cohort 9. At graduation, we were privileged to have two of our key stakeholders and funders speak. Dr Sevil Huseynova (WHO Country manager) reflected on the continued benefit of the i-FETP and reaffirmed WHO's continued support for the i-FETP. Mr Shane Araga, representing USAID who funded the graduating cohort, highlighted the importance of the focus on One-Health in both the i-FETP and also the Frontline FETP program.
Ms. Miriel Boas and Ms. Grace Bid, who were chosen to represent cohort 9 at the graduation ceremony highlighted the value of progressively moving through the FETP tiers. Both Fellows completed the West New Britain One Health Frontline FETP in 2022 and began the i-FETP with an understanding of the fundamentals of surveillance and outbreaks; enabling them to build on this knowledge.
Looking ahead (curriculum workshop)
Also during September, 2024, 12 faculty gathered to review the FETP strategic plan and i-FETP curriculum. They expanded the vision and mission of FETP to include other sectors, and then focused on the curriculum, reviewing core competencies, learning outcomes and workshop schedules. Reflecting on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic the surveillance and outbreak components of the curriculum were both strengthened.
The director of the National Department of Health research unit discussed ethics considerations and processes for FETP projects with faculty, with a clear pathway for submission and approval of proposals being agreed to.
In collaboration with Vital Strategies, faculty discussed how to incorporate a greater focus on the use of data to inform policy, revising aspects of the public health intervention curriculum.
The i-FETPNG faculty took the opportunity to ensure the curriculum is fit for purpose and focussed on current needs in the country. There was a healthy amount of discussion and debate, resulting in consensus.
The faculty were given the fun task of mapping sessions on the timetable for the three workshops. Anyone who has done this before knows it is a mammoth task – what to put where and when. Many laughs were shared as just when you think you have it all sorted – you discover a session was missed.
Next steps
Planning for i-FETPNG 2025 is well underway with expressions of interest for cohort 10 being sent out this month. A mentor workshop is scheduled for March 2025 and the first workshop for cohort 10 planned for April, 2025.
The cohort was funded by USAID, with implementation support by WHO PNG office and technical support from the Field Epidemiology in Action team at The University of Newcastle.
FETPNG is coordinated and delivered under the National Department of Health with Mr Barry Ropa being the founder and Director of the program supported by a Convenor and local faculty members.
About Field Epi in Action
