Националният център по заразни и паразитни болести (The National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases - NCIPD)

Contact person

getsovancipd [dot] org (Zhivka Getsova)

Description of the institute

The National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) was established in 1881 and is the oldest scientific and public health institution in Bulgaria. It is a national research organization under the Ministry of Health, dedicated to research, surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and control of infectious and parasitic diseases. Since 2007, NCIPD has served as the National Competent Body for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and international partners in preparedness and response to public health threats.

The Centre conducts research, reference laboratory diagnostics, epidemiological surveillance, postgraduate education, and expert support for the national healthcare system. It is the only non-university institution in Bulgaria accredited to provide PhD and postgraduate training in epidemiology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, and immunology.

NCIPD hosts all National Reference Laboratories for bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Its Laboratory Test Complex has been accredited to BS EN ISO 17025 standards since 2003 and participates in international external quality assurance programmes.

Training opportunities

The training opportunities include participation in the national surveillance of communicable diseases, epidemiological data analysis, outbreak investigations, and the evaluation of surveillance systems and public health interventions. Fellows will contribute to the design and implementation of epidemiological studies and support evidence-based public health activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Regional Health Inspectorates. Opportunities will be provided to visit and collaborate with the National Reference Laboratories to gain an understanding of laboratory methods and their role in disease surveillance and outbreak investigations, although laboratory training is not a primary component of the programme. Fellows will be encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences, seminars, and training courses, and to contribute to scientific publications, surveillance reports, and other public health communication materials.

Supervision

The EPIET fellow will be based in the Department of Epidemiology at the National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD). The fellow will be supervised by the Director of NCIPD, with day-to-day supervision and mentoring provided by senior medical epidemiologists. Depending on the fellow's interests and training objectives, opportunities for collaboration with other departments and the National Reference Laboratories will be available.

The fellow will be fully integrated into the Department of Epidemiology and will have access to the necessary office facilities, computer equipment, communication tools, scientific literature, and relevant surveillance databases. An introductory programme will provide an overview of the Bulgarian communicable disease surveillance system, the organization of public health services, and national procedures for outbreak investigation and response. The induction will also include visits to selected National Reference Laboratories and, where appropriate, Regional Health Inspectorates to familiarize the fellow with the laboratory and public health components of communicable disease surveillance.

Language requirements

Knowledge of Bulgarian is essential

Training history

Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: 1