Field Epidemiology Training Programme for Veterinarians (FETPV): next steps
The China FETPV programme is a training programme organised by FAO ECTAD and CAHEC aiming at improving epidemiological skills of veterinarians in China. It has been running since 2010, with two cohorts of 35 veterinarians, from national, provincial and municipal levels, having completed their training. Trainees from the second cohort have recently been in the field to move from theory to practice and investigate outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants and H7N9. The third cohort is currently being selected and will start in November 2014.
As part of the LinkTADs project, a meeting between the leaders of the programme was held on 31st July 2014 in Beijing, to discuss possible future directions of the FETPV programme. It was agreed that the further development of the FETPV programme needs to focus on becoming fully sustainable without external training and financial input. This will also mean that training should eventually be delivered in Chinese language at provincial level, and that specific courses for executive managers will be developed. In this respect, the best students from the second cohort will be selected to become teachers or facilitators for this next cohort’s training.
In addition, to promote One Health collaborations, special seminars and workshops will be organised in the future to bring animal health, human health and environmental sectors together.
RVC, CIRAD, FAO ECTAD China and CAHEC are working together within the LinkTADs framework in order to contribute to the success of the China FETPV programme.
