The 24th Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) cohort officially graduated on Friday, 31 July 2026, in Zanzibar.

Supported under the Pandemic Fund Project, this second Pandemic Fund-supported Frontline cohort comprised 41 trainees from Unguja and Pemba, representing the frontline public health workforce responsible for strengthening surveillance, outbreak detection, and response across Zanzibar.

The graduation ceremony was officiated by the Director General of the Ministry of Health Zanzibar as the Guest of Honour. The event was also attended by the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Tanzania and Liaison for Zanzibar, the Deputy Country Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), representatives from the Ministry of Health Tanzania, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, and other partners committed to strengthening health security.

During the ceremony, trainees showcased the competencies acquired throughout the three-month program, including surveillance data monitoring, surveillance data quality audits, problem analysis, outbreak investigation and response, geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, scientific communication, and electronic data collection. These practical skills were applied through field projects that contributed to strengthening disease surveillance and public health response in Zanzibar.

With the graduation of this cohort, the Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (TFELTP) has now graduated 851 Frontline FETP trainees, covering all districts in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. This growing workforce continues to strengthen the country’s capacity for early detection, surveillance, outbreak investigation, and rapid response to public health threats.

Implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Health Tanzania Mainland, the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), AFENET, WHO, U.S. CDC, and other partners, the Frontline FETP continues to build a resilient public health workforce and strengthen health security across Tanzania.

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