DPH staff undergoes epidemiology training

Health experts in the CNMI have begun training that will equip them with knowledge on how to handle any widespread outbreak of diseases within the community.

The Pacific Data for Decision Making Model of Field Epidemiology Training commenced on Saipan in June 2005. This training evolved out of a recognized need for improving epidemiological skills for better surveillance and response in the region. In other words, it was recognized that public health workers need to improve epidemiological skills and capacity to better respond to health events like disease outbreaks or to monitor disease trends or to answer important questions facing them in their work.

The training is being implemented under the leadership of the Department of Public Health and the availability of funding support from the Pacific Island Health Officers Association.

The CNMI is the first of the American affiliated Pacific Islands to embark on this training. A stepwise progression of studies was conceived with possible accreditation from regional partner universities. However, accreditation by universities was not considered as a requirement or barrier to the training. The DPH said it is keener to have its staff trained now, rather than wait for academic negotiations and processes.

The development and organization of the actual training has also been made possible through collaborative efforts of Dr. Michael O’leary, CDC/PIHOA Regional Epidemiologist, and other partners of the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Dr. Michael O’leary have been key players in developing, supervising and delivering the training, including assistance from the World Health Organization and other health professionals under the PPHSN umbrella.

The present component of the DDM is a postgraduate certificate level training where there are five courses. These include: a) Introduction to Field or Applied Epidemiology, b) Database Design, Data Analysis and Presentation, c) Outbreak Investigations, d) Public Health Surveillance and e) Surveillance Field Project. The introductory course was delivered by Dr. Michael O’leary, Dr. Narendra Singh, Epidemiologist/Communicable Disease Surveillance Specialist from PPHSN focal Point, SPC, Noumea in June 2005. The Database Design, Analysis and Presentation course was delivered by Christin Roseveare from the New Zealand Ministry of Health in July. The Outbreak Investigations course was delivered in August by Dr. Narenda Singh, Dr. Conchy Roces, Public Health Specialist at WHO-Manila and Edward P. Diaz, Epidemiologist from the CNMI. The present course in Public Health Surveillance is being delivered by epidemiologists from SPC, Dr. Tom Kiedzrynski and Dr. Narendra Singh, Hazel Clothier, Laboratory Epidemiologist, from the Viral Diseases Research Laboratory in Melbourne.

There have been a cohort of 17 Public Health staff from Saipan in the training. There have also been additional participants from the Department where relevant training was deemed to be necessary. The training is often highly practical, hands-on and supported by classroom-based learning in tutorials, group discussions and practical work. So far, three courses have been completed. In two weeks, the last two courses would be completed leading to a final project which project which participants will undertake and complete by first week of December, 2005. Upon completion of the DDM training, participants should be able to recognize and investigate systematically health events like outbreaks, aside from the overall improvement in their work relating to health data. So far the training is progressing well and the participants are very enthusiastic.

The courses have been delivered through generous assistance of various PPHSN partners. Local collaboration from various agencies such as the PREL Resource Center, Northern Marianas College and the Coastal Resource Management have also generously assisted by having their facilities used for the training. (PR)