Building a Skilled One Health Frontline Field Epidemiology Workforce: Regional Mentors Workshop for Frontline FETP in Eastern and Central Africa

As emerging public health threats increasingly cross the boundaries of humans, animals, and the environment, a strong and collaborative response remains more critical than ever. With over 60% of these threats being zoonotic in origin, the importance of a well-trained, multidisciplinary workforce grounded in the One Health approach cannot be overstated.

To address this pressing need, the U.S. CDC, in collaboration with AFENET, conducted a Regional One Health Frontline FETP Mentors Workshop from June 9–13, 2025, in Kampala, Uganda. The workshop marked a significant step in the rollout of the revised Frontline FETP curriculum, now enhanced with One Health content, practical field exercises, and case studies reflecting real-world complexity.

Workshop Goals:

• Trained selected mentors from the Ministries of Health, Livestock/Agriculture, and Environment on the updated curriculum.
• Strengthened participants’ capacity in adult learning, facilitation, and mentorship.
• Established a pool of regional mentors equipped to support the implementation of the revised Frontline One Health training in their respective countries.

The hands-on, five-day workshop brought together mentors from Uganda, Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda, Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo, along with technical experts from AFENET. Participants engaged in group work, teach-backs, and case discussions tailored to the health challenges commonly faced in the region.

By equipping mentors with the tools to deliver this updated curriculum, the initiative laid the foundation for a resilient One Health workforce capable of early detection, prevention, and timely response to public health threats—safeguarding communities and strengthening regional health systems across Africa.