‘Disease detectives’ celebrated
Namibia on Tuesday commemorated the first World Field Epidemiology Day, a global movement aimed at raising awareness of the vital role of field epidemiologists in protecting the health of populations.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Services said the primary goal of field epidemiology is to guide, as quickly as possible, the processes of selecting and implementing effective and appropriate interventions to lessen or prevent illness or death when outbreaks and health emergencies arise.
Namibia established a Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NamFELTP) in 2012 to enhance epidemiology skills at various levels and help improve public health systems in Namibia.
“Field epidemiologists, being ‘disease detectives’, are responsible for investigating public health signals to confirm outbreaks and identify cases, contacts and risk factors for disease. The primary goal of field epidemiology is to guide the processes of selecting and implementing effective and appropriate interventions to lessen or prevent illness or death when such problems arise,” the statement said.
Since its inception, NamFELTP has addressed more than 35 outbreaks and health emergencies including hepatitis
E, malaria, anthrax, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever, cholera and Covid-19.
The programme has also conducted more than 51 surveillance data analyses and surveillance system evaluations and 31 epidemiological studies.
The statement further noted that with the assistance of the University of Namibia’s School of Public Health, more than 190 public health workers from all 14 regions have been trained through the programme while 10 trainees are currently in training. Thirty-eight alumni are at advanced programme stage,
while 161 people have been trained in the front-line courses.
“All-in-all, Nam-FELTP has greatly improved critical outcomes in the public health system, including enhancing publichealthsurveillancesystems to respond effectively and rapidly to public health emergencies from previously where there was a weak surveillance system, no surveillance system evaluation and data analysis conducted, and no capacity to respond to public health emergencies in an effective and timely manner,” the statement said.