Namibia graduates 19 frontline One Health FELTP trainees

Namibia’s Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program has graduated 19 trainees from its Frontline One Health Training Program Cohort IX, strengthening the country’s frontline public health workforce and health security systems.

The graduation ceremony was held on 15 May 2026 in Windhoek. Of the 23 trainees who started the course, 19 successfully completed the training, representing an 83% completion rate and bringing Namibia’s total number of frontline FELTP graduates to 262.

The cohort is the first in Namibia to be trained using the revised One Health frontline curriculum, which recognizes the close connection between human, animal, and environmental health.

In his keynote address, Mr. Johannes Gaeseb, Acting Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said the training had strengthened frontline capacity in surveillance, outbreak detection, investigation, reporting, response, and data quality.

“Our expectations are that you will be able to contribute to the detection of outbreaks within 7 days through strengthened surveillance and event-based reporting systems,” he said, while emphasizing rapid notification, timely response, and multisectoral coordination.

The trainees came from multiple sectors, including health, defence, police, correctional services, and immigration, reflecting a whole-of-government approach to health security and emergency preparedness.

Representing the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Dr. Notion Gombe congratulated the graduates and highlighted the growing importance of workforce development in responding to emerging public health threats.

“Frontline FETP training is more than an academic exercise, it is practical leadership training for real-world public health action,” he said.

He further noted that investments in workforce development are investments in “national resilience, economic stability, and human security.”

Ms. Rosaline De Wee, an EPR Officer, WHO country office, delivered the remarks on behalf of Dr Richard Banda, the WHO Representative who commended the graduates for their commitment to public health service.

“You are not just graduates, you are guardians of public health,” WHO said during the ceremony, while recognizing frontline epidemiologists as the backbone of health security and the bridge between science and action.

US CDC Namibia described the graduation as both a celebration of achievement and an investment in Namibia’s future public health workforce.

“The knowledge and skills you have gained through FETP Frontline will strengthen surveillance systems, improve outbreak response, and ultimately help protect the health of all Namibians,” CDC noted.

As the graduates return to their institutions and communities, they are expected to support early detection, outbreak investigation, risk communication, data-driven decision-making, and coordinated emergency response efforts across Namibia.