AFENET Strengthens Operational Research Capacity Through the Workshops 4 of the 6th Cohort of the Intermediate FETP in the DRC

The Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the National Institute of Public Health (INSP-DRC), in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Atlanta) and AFENET DRC, organized the 4 of the 6th Cohort of the Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) from June 7 to 16, 2026, at the Buffalo Conference Hall of the Venus Village International Conference Center in Kinshasa. This activity forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of public health professionals in operational research, data management, and epidemiological analysis.

The workshop brought together 15 participants, including 5 women, representing the Provincial Health Divisions (PHDs) of Kinshasa, Lomami, Bas-Uélé, and Ituri. Due to travel restrictions associated.

with the response to the 17th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Ituri Province, participants from Ituri were unable to travel to the training venue and therefore attended the sessions virtually.

The training focused primarily on developing the practical skills required to conduct field-based operational research. Participants received hands-on training in the design of data collection questionnaires, their programming and deployment using the KoboCollect platform, as well as techniques for data cleaning and database analysis using Epi Info software.

Two group research projects served as the basis for the practical exercises: a study on the factors associated with maternal mortality in the provinces of Kinshasa, Bas-Uélé, and Ituri, and another on the factors associated with road traffic accidents involving motorcycle taxis in the city of Kinshasa. In line with standard research methodology, the data collection tools were pretested prior to field implementation. The pretest for the maternal mortality study was conducted in the N’Sele Health Zone, specifically at the Kinshasa Provincial General Hospital (Kinkole site), while the pretest for the motorcycle taxi road traffic accident study was carried out at two motorcycle taxi parking sites in N’Sele Municipality.

These field activities were conducted under the close supervision of FETP mentors and with the technical support of the AFENET coordination team. The workshop was further enriched by the participation of Professor Babakazo from the Kinshasa School of Public Health, whose contributions helped strengthen the scientific and methodological rigor of the participants’ work.

Following this stage, participants will proceed with field data collection and statistical analyses, the results of which will be presented during the 5th Workshop, dedicated to project completion and the graduation of the cohort. Through its continued support, AFENET reaffirms its commitment to strengthening national public health expertise capable of generating evidence-based data to inform decision-making and enhance health systems in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.