WHO: More needed in study of diseases

 THE World Health Organisation says there is a need to develop more human capacity in field epidemiology in the country.

Epidemiology is the study of the spread and control of diseases in populations.

Nineteen participants from 12 provinces are undertaking a two-week course as part of the field epidemiology training programme at the March Girls Resort in Central.

The training from April 22 to May 3 aims to provide candidates with advanced skills in disease surveillance analysis and outbreak response. 

The target is to have one graduate in each of the 22 provinces. Eventually they want to have one graduate in each of the 89 districts. 

“Many past short term field epidemiology training programmes in the Asia Pacific region and elsewhere have failed to provide significant public health impact due to overly academic curricular focus, lack of an opportunity to put acquired skills into practice, absence of follow up or other reasons,” a WHO spokesman said in a statement yesterday. 

The most promising graduates will be identified for further in-country or overseas training at a higher level so that they can serve as mentors in the country.

It is a six-month on-site and distance training programme in field epidemiology and features trainers from WHO, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AusAID, Thailand FETP and the national Department of Health.