Namibia graduates 8th Cohort of Frontline FETP

The Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the African Field Epidemiology Network held the graduation ceremony for Cohort VIII of the Frontline Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) on 27th April 2023 at the Hilton Hotel Windhoek. Twenty-six members of the cohort graduated from the program.

The occasion was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Hon. Dr. Esther Utjiua Muinjangue who delivered the keynote address. She expressed the commitment of the Ministry of Health and Social Services to ensuring well trained and equipped public health workforce and thanked all the partners that are supporting the various aspect of the training.

In his remark, the Country Director, United States CDC, Dr Brian Baker congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to put their newly acquired skills into improving the country’s public health system. The WHO Country Representative, Dr. Charles Sagoes-Moses, who was represented by Dr. Hailu Sirak expressed the commitment of the WHO is strengthening public health surveillance and public health capacity in the country.

The Director of, the African Field Epidemiology Network, Dr. Simon Antara, represented by the AFENET Regional Technical Coordinator for Southern and Lusophone Africa, Dr. Notion Gombe, expressed AFENET’s commitment to supporting Public Health Capacity Development through Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Network in Namibia leveraging on the network of technical capacities across Africa.

The other dignitaries in attendance included. Dr. Christian Winter, the coordinator for the Twining Project between the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Dr. Lewis Hove, FAO interim Country Representative, representatives of Namibia Institute of Pathology, and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)