AFENET and Partners Launch Regional Scientific Manuscript Writing Workshop for West African FETP Graduates in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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AFENET
The African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC), the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC), and the Ministry of Health of Côte d’Ivoire, has officially launched a regional scientific manuscript writing workshop for Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) residents and graduates from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal.
The workshop is taking place from 27 to 31 July 2026 at Hotel La Pivoine in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. It aims to strengthen regional and national capacity in scientific communication by equipping participants with the skills and mentorship needed to transform field epidemiology investigations into high-quality scientific manuscripts for publication.
The workshop was officially opened on behalf of the Ministry of Health of Côte d’Ivoire by Prof. Tiembre Issaka, National Coordinator of FETP Côte d’Ivoire, representing Prof. Mamadou Samba, Director General of Health. Opening remarks were also delivered by Dr. Erin Sauber Schatz, representing the United States Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire and the U.S. CDC, and Dr. Seogo Pedwinde Hamadou, AFENET Regional Technical Coordinator for Francophone West Africa.
The workshop is facilitated by a distinguished team of experts comprising Dr. Peter Thomas, Senior Epidemiologist, Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta; Dr. Seogo Pedwinde Hamadou, AFENET Regional Technical Coordinator for Francophone West Africa; Dr. Chukwuma David Umeokonkwo, Acting Managing Editor of the Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (JIEPH) and AFENET Scientific Writing Lead; Mr. Ernest Liuta, French Editor of the Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (JIEPH); Dr. Pierre Wilnique, AFENET Resident Advisor in Côte d’Ivoire; and Dr. Victor Adeola Fatimehin, Technical Advisor for Surveillance and Workforce Development at the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC).
Participants and mentors were competitively selected from the five participating countries based on the quality and readiness of their proposed manuscripts. Throughout the five-day workshop, participants are receiving intensive hands-on mentorship to strengthen scientific writing skills, refine manuscript quality, and prepare articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
The manuscripts developed during the workshop will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (JIEPH), providing an important platform to showcase field epidemiology evidence, operational research, and public health practice from West Africa while increasing the visibility of FETP contributions to global health security.
This regional scientific writing workshop represents a strategic investment in strengthening the capacity of FETP residents, graduates, and mentors to translate field investigation findings into high-quality scientific publications. Through intensive mentorship, structured manuscript development, and continued post-workshop support, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between field practice and scientific dissemination, increase the number of peer-reviewed publications generated by FETP programs, and establish a sustainable regional network of scientific mentors.
By promoting evidence generation and knowledge sharing, the workshop will contribute to evidence-informed public health decision-making, strengthen collaboration among FETP programs across West Africa, enhance the visibility of field epidemiology achievements, and ultimately improve preparedness for and response to public health emergencies throughout the region.
