By Kuda Pembere
Twenty frontline healthworkers from Zimbabwe’s rural districts graduated from a three-month Field Epidemiology Training Program. The training was informed by the lack of adequate capacity in disease surveillance in the country.
The twenty which graduated on Wednesday in Harare, were drawn from Gutu, Hurungwe, Sanyati and Mwenezi districts.
They included Environmental Health Officers, Health Information Officers, Health Promotion officers, Nurses and District Medical Officers.
The training was conducted by the Zimbabwe Field Epidemiology Training Program (Zim FETP) with support from America’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Zimbabwe.
Officiating the graduation ceremony, Health Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze in a speech read on his behalf by Ministry of Health and Child Care director in public health Dr Wenceslas Nyamayaro said the training was important in that it enhances public health practitioners’ capacity to handle the nation’s health challenges.
“Testimonials from some districts in Mashonaland West, Masvingo Provinces showcase how the Frontline FETP has enhanced surveillance and outbreak response at the district level. Our trainees’ dedication and hard work have been exemplary contributing significantly to public health in Zimbabwe.
“Today, they join the list of graduates and alumni of field epidemiology training program in Africa and the world over.
“The Zimbabwe Field Epidemiology Training Program (ZiniFETP) plays a crucial role in training and empowering public health practitioners to tackle our nation’s health challenges,” he said.
The Field Epidemiology Training progam is over 30 years old with this cohort becoming the first of frontline healthworkers to be capacitated.
“Established over 30 years ago as a joint program between the Ministry of Health and Childcare and the University of Zimbabwe, the FETP aims to build capacity of public health professionals at all levels (i.e. national, provincial, district, and community levels).
“Recent cholera and measles outbreaks reported in 63 districts of our country in 2023 and 2024 emphasize the need for a competent frontline workforce to detect, report, and respond to disease outbreaks promptly.
“Investing in public health training is key to preventing future outbreaks. Continued support and funding from stakeholders are crucial for scaling up and sustaining programs like the Frontline FETP,” the Health secretary said.
CDC Zimbabwe director Dr Kitren Mitruka said Zimbabwe has been a pace setter in the FETP.
“Zimbabwe has long been known as the flagship FETP program. And this is particularly true now that we’ve begun the frontline training program and mentorship in Zimbabwe. FETP Frontline was launched in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Health Protection. FETP Frontline, as you know, is a three-month training program.
“It’s aimed at expanding work force capabilities at the subnational level to detect and respond to disease threats and events of public health importance of international concern. FETP frontline trainees include government, public health workers in charge of collecting and using health surveillance data through analysis and reporting, facilitating a response to local level of the health system.
She said through CDC support since 1993, over 300 public health officers have been trained.
“Since 1993, CDC has proudly supported FETP in Zimbabwe. This has resulted in 324 graduates of the ADVANCE program to date. And FETP, Advanced Trained Epidemiologists, are public health leaders throughout the health sector in Zimbabwe.
“The program has played a significant role in enhancing public health functions at both the national and subnational levels. In the last three years alone, CDC has provided $2 million in direct funding to increase the class size of FETP in the face of COVID-19 pandemic,” said the CDC Zimbabwe director.
Zim FETP senior technical advisor Dr Tsitsi Juru said while Zimbabwe witnesses the emergence and reemergence of outbreaks, they figured it was important to train public health personnel at community level.
“Just to give a bit of background, as you know Zimbabwe, we have been experiencing emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, cholera, which we had had for a year and now has been declared over, TB, measles and HIV.
“And all these diseases really underscored the need to have trained public health personnel at front line level, at community level. And because of that, we determined that people needed to be trained. Because a lot of the outbreaks will be picked up at national level.
“Some of the testimonials that we’re getting, that they would get calls from the provincial level or the national level to say, do you know you’re in an outbreak? Because they were not looking at their data. So, it underscored the need to train the frontline workers at district level,” she said.
Professor Mufuta Tshimanga said CDC invested US$200 000 for this training program for these frontliners.
“I would also like to acknowledge our mentors, some of them sitting there, the trainers and staff who have played a pivotal role in supporting the graduates throughout their journey. Your guidance, knowledge and encouragement have been essential to the program’s success.
“And I commend you for your unwavering commitment to developing the next generation of public health units. My sincere appreciation goes to the U.S. CDC for the initial funding of $200,000 as well as technical assistance that made this dream of front line training a reality,” he said.
The graduates expressed interest in enhancing their field epidemiology training to the advanced level.
