12th Cohort of the Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Programme (NFETP) at The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Details

• The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced the call for application for the 12th Cohort of the Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Programme (NFETP).
• If you are a skilled and experienced public health professional and passionate about learning more about epidemiology, this is a perfect opportunity to further develop your technical skills and field-readiness competencies to respond to current and future public health threats in Nigeria.
• When disease outbreaks or other public health threats emerge, Field Epidemiologists trained through the NFETP support the Government of Nigeria’s response at the frontline.

What is NFETP?

• The Advanced Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Programme (A-NFETP) is a two-year in-service training programme in field epidemiology, which provides competency-based training and service delivery in applied epidemiology and public health.
• This is coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv).
• The programme aims to build workforce capacity in disease surveillance and response with dedicated mentorship using the One Health approach.
• NFETP trainees contribute to the growth of public health capacity at national and state level and gain hands-on experience through field placements.
• This programme is a fellowship administered by NCDC.

Programme AIM
What Does the Programme Aim to Achieve?

• To train future leaders in applied epidemiology using a solutions-based approach to public health events
• To provide epidemiological capacity as part of Nigeria’s health security
• To strengthen public health surveillance systems for human, animal, and environmental health
• To strengthen the One Health approach to outbreak preparedness and response, including the linkage between public health, veterinary public health, and environmental health
• To develop capacity that will contribute effectively to public health research activities for human, animal and environmental health
• To improve communications and networking among public health practitioners and researchers in Nigeria and across African countries.
• To strengthen affiliations with international organisations, such as the Training Programmes in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), AFENET and other applied epidemiology and laboratory training programmes in other countries.

Eligibility Criteria
To apply for this fellowship, you should have:

• A Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree or Master's Degree (M.Sc) in Epidemiology, Statistics or in a health-related field such as Microbiology, Biochemistry, Medical Laboratory Science
• A minimum of two-years experience working in public health or related fields within a government institution (with evidence of confirmation)
• For Medical and Veterinary Medicine graduates, a membership or fellowship qualification in Public Health or Community Medicine from a recognised Postgraduate College is acceptable
• Current employment within an organisation
• Applicants who neither have a Masters or a Fellowship, but have worked for at least five years in a public health role, can also apply
• A Ph.D is an added advantage.

How will the New Cohort be Selected?
Cohort 12 applicants are expected to submit:

• A personal statement of at least 500 words including a brief overview of educational achievements, career goals and how the NFETP will aid in achieving these goals
• Letter of authorisation and recommendation from their employers
• Photocopies of relevant credentials such as First Degree certificate, Postgraduate Degree or Fellowship.
• Eligible applicants will be shortlisted and invited for a written assessment administered by the programme.
• Successful candidates following the written assessment will undergo an oral interview. During the interview, applicants are expected to present the original copies of their relevant credentials.

How will Successful Applicants be Notified

• Successful applicants will be notified via email of admission into the programme, using the email address provided during the application process.

How Soon will the Programme Start?

• The expected date of commencement for Cohort 12 is September 2021.