The ECDC Fellowship Introductory Course 2024 in Spetses, Greece
Held from 23 September to 11 October, the three-week intensive programme,in collaboration with the German Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), brought together EPIET (field epidemiology path), EUPHEM (public health microbiology path), and EPIET Associated Programmes (Germany and Greece) as well as MediPIET participants.
The course offered a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip participants with essential skills for outbreak investigation, surveillance and public health emergency preparedness and response. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and hands-on management of a week-long simulated outbreak, participants integrated learning of epidemiology and public health microbiology skills.
Networking and team building were central elements of the course, with fellows interacting with coordinators and facilitators from the broad network.
The ECDC Fellowship Introductory Course continues to be a cornerstone for preparing the next generation of epidemiologists and public health microbiologists.
ECDC Fellowship programme and MediPIET
The ECDC Fellowship programme is a two-year training program with two distinct paths: field epidemiology (EPIET) and public health microbiology (EUPHEM). EPIET started in 1995 and EUPHEM in 2008.
MediPIET is a regional training programme that aims to enhance health security in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. It supports capacity building for prevention and control of communicable diseases through the implementation of a regional long-term advanced Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), Training of Trainers activities, support of knowledge transfer to and among partner countries, and support to networks of national representatives of MediPIET partner countries, training sites, fellows, supervisors and alumni. The programme was set up in 2013.
