In order to serve Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETP) across the world, the FETP Enterprise was launched following the Task Force for Global Health’s meeting in Bellagio in June 2018. Nineteen FETP leaders, implementing partners, funders, and other stakeholders met to develop a comprehensive roadmap for improving and accelerating the development of the global FETP partnership. The Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) was also launched to serve as an initiative to enhance and accelerate the development of field epidemiology capacity worldwide.

Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the first Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), the countries having FETPs has increased to more than 80 globally, with more than 19,000 graduates. As a result, the FETP Enterprise's sustainability is more important than ever.

On September 7, 2021, EMPHNET conducted a webinar titled “The FETP Enterprise: An EMR Reflection.” The session served to shed more light on the concept and importance of the FETP enterprise, the FETP roadmap, and the SLG’s work, and also to commemorate World Field Epidemiology Day (WFED).

The webinar was led by three field epidemiology experts namely: MB. BCh, FCPHM, M.Sc. (Epi), Director of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), Dr. Carl Reddy; Director of the Center of Excellence for Applied Epidemiology (CEAE), GHD|EMPHNET, Dr. Yousef Khader; and Workforce Capacity Team Leader, GHD|EMPHNET, Dr. Haitham Bashier. In addition, the session was facilitated by MD, MSc, PhD, Executive Director, GHD|EMPHNET, Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour.

Dr. Al Nsour started the session by welcoming the webinar speakers and attendees. He talked about World Field Epidemiology Day and its significance for FETPs. He then introduced the webinar’s focus and handed the floor to Dr. Reddy.

Dr. Reddy presented the Global Field Epidemiology Roadmap’s development and implementation. He started by providing some background information on the FETP initiative's significant growth since 1975, and its great success, while also highlighting the challenges attributed to the increasing growth and complexity. He then shed light on the roadmap’s development, vision, new conceptual framing, and the eight actionable recommendations for improving and accelerating progress of field epidemiology capacity worldwide, as well as the Strategic Leadership Group (SLG).

He then provided some updates on the SLG, including the establishment of the Working Groups (WGs) to lead each recommendation forward. Dr. Reddy then concluded his presentation by sharing the next steps to be taken, emphasizing the need of working with regional networks, FETP Directors, fellows, graduates, partners, and stakeholders to ensure the advancement and growth of FETPs.

In his presentation, Dr. Khader talked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sustainability of FETPs. He gave an overview of the FETPs working in the EMR, where over 900 advanced level FETPs graduated this year, as well as 834 from the basic program, and 55 from the intermediate FETP. He then stated that GHD|EMPHNET worked to support countries in the EMR in strengthening their COVID-19 preparedness and response, thus developing a set of COVID-19 Strategic Working Areas. He briefly mentioned the response activities that FETPs were involved in during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges they faced. Dr. Khader then emphasized the importance of FETP’s sustainability while introducing strategies to achieve this goal.

The third presenter, Dr. Bashier presented the “FETP: From Face-to-Face to Blended Modality”. He began by providing an overview of blended learning, its supporting factors, several blended learning definitions, and its different types. He then talked about how blended learning is a solution for some of the challenges faced by FETPs. He then did a comparison between the FETP Classic Model and the FETP Blended Model. In his presentation, he also introduced GHD|EMPHNET’s approach to the FETP Blended Model and its Learning Management System (LMS). During 2020-2021, he noted, 9 cohorts with more than 180 residents in the EMR took up blended learning. He concluded his presentation by shedding light on the model’s evaluation, challenges, and mitigation.

A discussion session facilitated by Dr. Al Nsour followed the presentations. The discussion session focused on relevant and important questions asked by the participants. The webinar was attended by 185 people, deeming it a successful webinar in the “EMPHNET WEBi Series” initiative.