The Tunisian National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases (ONMNE), under Tunisia’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), conducted the Tunisia Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Institutionalization Workshop from July 13–15, 2026, in Tunis, with technical support from EMPHNET and the U.S. and regional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three-day workshop brought together 30 participants from a wide range of stakeholder groups, including senior officials, finance and human resources representatives from the MOPH, members of the Tunisia FETP Steering Committee, FETP graduates and mentors, representatives from several academic institutions, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, the Veterinary Research Institute of Tunisia, the CDC, and EMPHNET.

The workshop provided a platform to review the progress of the Tunisia FETP, examine existing challenges, and advance the development of a roadmap for institutionalizing the program within the MOPH to support its long-term sustainability.

Building on Nearly a Decade of Progress

The Tunisia FETP was established in 2017 by ONMNE following recommendations from Tunisia's 2016 Joint External Evaluation (JEE), which identified gaps in applied epidemiology capacity, disease surveillance, and emergency response. Since its inception, the program has received continuous technical and financial support from the U.S. CDC and EMPHNET.

Since its establishment, the program has completed four intermediate cohorts, graduating 51 professionals at the national and regional levels, and three frontline (basic) cohorts, graduating 35 professionals at the regional and local levels. This represents important progress toward strengthening Tunisia's applied epidemiology workforce and achieving the recommended benchmark of one field epidemiologist per 200,000 population.

Despite this progress, several challenges remain. These include limited information on the retention and deployment of graduates within the health system, uneven geographic distribution of trained field epidemiologists, and the suspension of new training cohorts while the program continues to operate as a project rather than as an institutionalized component of the national public health system. Discussions throughout the workshop also emphasized the strategic vision for implementing a One Health FETP by strengthening collaboration among stakeholders across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors to support a more coordinated and sustainable approach to workforce development. Together, these priorities informed discussions on the program's institutionalization and future direction

Advancing Institutionalization

Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in presentations, panel discussions, group exercises, and collaborative planning sessions focused on strengthening the future of the Tunisia FETP using the FETP standardized institutionalization matrix.

Discussions centered on assessing the program's current status, reviewing national public health priorities, and identifying practical steps to institutionalize and advance the FETP into the MOPH through strengthened governance, sustainable financing, dedicated staffing, and technical support. Participants also explored opportunities to establish career pathways for field epidemiologists, strengthen collaboration across surveillance, laboratories, and emergency operations under a One Health approach, promote regional collaboration, and integrate the FETP into academic curricula.

As part of the workshop, EMPHNET contributed technical expertise throughout the discussions, supporting the institutionalization planning process and the development of a draft roadmap alongside national and international partners.

Promoting Regional Learning

Knowledge exchange was an integral part of the workshop. During the workshop, participants learned from the institutionalization experiences of other FETPs in the region through an online session featuring representatives from the Iraq and Jordan FETPs. The speakers shared their governance approaches, implementation experiences, lessons learned, and good practices, providing practical insights to help inform the continued institutionalization of the Tunisia FETP.

The workshop resulted in a draft institutionalization roadmap outlining the main actions needed to achieve this goal and reactivate the Tunisia FETP. Following further review and finalization, the roadmap will guide the program’s integration into the MOPH.

As a long-standing technical partner of the Tunisia FETP and a regional leader in strengthening FETPs, EMPHNET continues to support countries across the region through technical assistance, regional collaboration, peer learning, and workforce development initiatives that contribute to strengthening national public health capacity.