Ghana FELTP 6th Scientific Conference and Competency Graduation

The Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP) held its 6th Scientific Conference and Competency Graduation from 13-14 December 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The theme for the conference and competency graduation was “Advancing Public Health Practice in a Challenging World”. The conference provided a platform for FELTP residents, graduates and other public health professionals to showcase their work in the area of surveillance, outbreak investigations natural/humanitarian disasters and COVID-19-related events over the past years. During the conference, 22 residents from Cohort XIV and XV graduated and were awarded competency certificates. Of these 22 residents who graduated, 15 residents (from DR Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zambia) were funded by EDCTP/Africa CDC through the Training of Epidemiologists in Disease Outbreak and Epidemic Response (TEDOER) project. Dr Grace Ocansey, one of the EDCTP Fellows, won the best oral presentation award at the conference.

The conference was attended by key stakeholders from the University of Ghana School of Public Health, Ghana Health Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), West African Health Organization (WAHO), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and EDCTP. Dr Thomas Nyirenda, EDCTP Strategic Partnerships and Capacity Development Manager and Head of Africa Office, joined virtually and made opening remarks highlighting the important contribution of the Master’s Fellows to the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa.