On the 7th of September, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) celebrated the First World Field Epidemiology Day.
Globally, this event has been introduced by the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET).
In a Press Statement issued by NCDC in marking the special day, defines epidemiology as the study of how and why diseases occur in different groups of people in different places and at different times.
The statement added that epidemiology has become essential in the fight against any disease and has been recently exemplified by activities to understand, contain, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The analyses of infectious disease data and projections from studies that model the spread of disease pathogens continue to drive policy decisions across the world”.
“#WorldFieldEpidemiologyDay is a global movement to recognise and raise awareness of the vital role of field epidemiologists in protecting the health of populations, thus advancing global health security, and to advocate for increased investment in field epidemiology training, research, and professionals.
“As the coordinating agency of the Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Programme (NFETP), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) joins TEPHINET and the rest of the world to celebrate World Field Epidemiology Day through action, communication, and advocacy.
“Epidemiology is at the heart of our work at NCDC in leading the prevention, preparedness for, detection and response to public health threats in Nigeria, the statement said.
The statement added that this year’s #WorldFieldEpidemiologyDay brings to bare the impacts of 2017 General meeting of National Council on Health.
In his address to the leadership of Nigeria’s health sector at the 2017 National Council on
Health, the NCDC Director-General Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu – a trained field epidemiologist –
had the following to say:
“Strengthening your State Epidemiology Team may not be your biggest achievement, but a weak team is your biggest source of risk.
“At NCDC, our vision is to have field epidemiologists seeded in every part of public health in Nigeria.”
“As Nigeria’s national public health institute, NCDC remains strongly committed to strengthening the NFETP, and works closely with the Africa Field Epidemiology Network
(AFENET), US Centers for Disease Control, World Bank and other partners”.he said.