MediPIET Cohort 5 Introductory Course
The first module for the fifth MediPIET Cohort “ECDC Fellowship Introductory Course 2022” was organised from 26 September – 14 October in Spetses, Greece. The MediPIET fellows stayed in Spetses until 7 October, whereas EPIET/EUPHEM/PAE fellows stayed until 14 October.
A total of 58 fellows from 30 countries attended the induction course, including new Cohort 5 MediPIET fellows from Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo*, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine **, Serbia, and Tunisia.
The training aimed to provide the fellows with an introduction to field epidemiology, public health microbiology, risk assessment and outbreak investigations.
During the 2-week long introductory course participants learned how to:
- Analyse surveillance data
- Propose public health control measures and recommendations based on investigation or research findings
- Apply simple statistics to analyse epidemiological and laboratory data
- Analyse associations between exposures and outcomes, with consideration of bias, confounding and effect modifications
- Develop a detailed protocol for an applied public health research project
- Communicate relevant public health information to various stakeholders (e.g., scientists, press, public, decision makers), and
- Design and evaluate a public health learning event
From 25-27 October, ECDC will organise virtual inject days for Cohort 5 fellows to train them in operational research. This activity is complementary to the Introductory Course.
The MediPIET Cohort 5 started their fellowship on 15 September 2022. It includes 16 fellows from 11 partner countries under the EU Initiative on Health Security.
Background
The Mediterranean and Black Sea Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (MediPIET) aims to enhance health security in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. It does so by supporting capacity building for prevention and control of threats posed by communicable diseases through the implementation of a long-term regional Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), Training of Trainers activities (ToTs), annual scientific events and other networking activities.
MediPIET is part of the EU Initiative on Health Security, a five-year programme (2020–2025) aimed at enhancing public health preparedness and response capacities of the European Union enlargement and the European Neighbourhood partner countries.
*This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
**This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
