Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme

The genesis and evolution of the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP) is closely linked with the establishment and development of the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana in 1994. By 2002 it was realized that there was the need to develop a core of specialists in the public health work force with competencies and skills in applied epidemiology and disease control, hence, the establishment of the GFELTP in October 2007. The GFELTP is competency based and currently runs the Advanced, Intermediate and Frontline levels of training in Ghana. It evolved from an initial collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through cooperative agreements with the University of Ghana, School of Public Health and Ghana Health Service. The programme has evolved into a sub-regional resource centre for training Field Epidemiologists from English speaking West African countries (except Nigeria). The GFELTP is a founding member of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) which is headquartered in Kampala, Uganda.