Mozambique launches first One Health FETP Frontline Cohort, focuses on cross-border surveillance
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by
AFENET
On July 7, 2025, Mozambique took a historic step to strengthen epidemiological surveillance with the launch of the first cohort of the Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program, focused on the One Health approach. The cohort was launched in Ressano Garcia, one of the country’s main points of entry with South Africa and where hundreds of people and goods cross daily, increasing the risk of introducing human and animal infectious diseases.
The cohort stems from the knowledge gained during a regional mentors’ training held in June 2025 in Johannesburg, organized by AFENET in partnership with the U.S. CDC and JHPIEGO. This experience was essential for designing an integrated approach tailored to Mozambique’s context.
The integration of 15 professionals from human health, animal health, and environmental sectors, including cross-border surveillance officers aims to enhance the country’s capacity to detect zoonotic outbreaks early and respond in a coordinated manner to cross-border threats.
These professionals were drawn from key institutions such as the National Institute of Health (INS) – headquarters and Provincial Delegation of Maputo, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), Environmental Hygiene Department of the Ministry of Health (MISAU) and Cross-Border Surveillance Technicians from MISAU.
This milestone consolidates the FETP as an essential platform for building professional capacity and promoting a rapid, integrated, and sustainable response to health risks, reinforcing the country’s commitment to public health security.
Mozambique thus takes a firm step toward collaborative surveillance aligned with international One Health principles.
