The Minister of Health and Sanitation  Dr. Austine Demby, U.S. Ambassador David Reimer, and others dignitaries in the country have congratulated 25 certified graduates of the ninth cohort of the Field Epidemiology and Training Program-Frontline.

The graduation which took place on May 1 2021 marked a significant milestone that demonstrates the ongoing progress of strengthening the workforce of the country at each level of the health system in Sierra Leone.

“I am pleased to be able to participate in my first FETP graduation in Sierra Leone, and I hope there will be many to come. “The U.S. government, through the Global Health Security Agenda, is committed to supporting impactful programs like FETP in Sierra Leone.  This is a mission both of our governments share, and the Government of Sierra Leone has shown real leadership in establishing and building disease surveillance capacity at both the local and national levels,” Ambassador Reimer stated.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) will benefit from increased capacity to recognize public health problems pertinent to the population, a stronger culture of data-based decision making, and a network of well-trained surveillance officers in the country, who can communicate with the public about health issues.

The program represents a successful collaboration between the MoHS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the number of health workers with epidemiological training in Sierra Leone.

Epidemiologists study outbreaks of diseases, the causes, locations, and how various communities are affected, utilizing relative information to aid in the prevention of future outbreaks. Epidemiologists help to keep the public informed of methods to maintain and improve public health. Epidemiologists work at universities and for government organizations including the (CDC) Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Health (NIH), or the World Health Organization (WHO).