Zambia Expands Disease Surveillance Training to Defence Forces and Police Services
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AFENET
Zambia has expanded its frontline disease surveillance workforce to include personnel from the defence and security services, strengthening multisectoral preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
Under the revised Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP)-Frontline One Health curriculum, 50 personnel from the Zambia Army and Zambia Police Service have received training in field epidemiology and public health surveillance.
The initiative represents a shift in Zambia’s approach to workforce development, recognising the role security institutions can play in supporting disease detection, emergency preparedness and coordinated outbreak response.
The personnel were trained through two special cohorts introduced as part of efforts to strengthen multidisciplinary response teams. Training emphasised surveillance data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting, as well as outbreak investigation and communication during public health emergencies.
Participants gained experience reviewing surveillance systems, conducting data quality assessments and applying epidemiological methods to public health challenges. By extending these competencies beyond traditional health institutions, Zambia is strengthening collaboration across sectors involved in emergency response.
The initiative builds on the country’s adoption of the FETP-Frontline One Health curriculum in July 2025, designed to improve coordination among human, animal and environmental health sectors.
On 3 September 2026, a graduation ceremony for defence forces personnel brought together representatives from ZNPHI, the Ministry of Defence and other government institutions.
The wider frontline capacity-building efforts have received support from ZNPHI, WHO Country Office, ZaMPPRP, US CDC and Africa CDC.
