By Belize Live News Staff: Belize celebrated a major public health milestone on November 28, as the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), in partnership with PAHO/WHO and SE-COMISCA, marked the graduation of the country’s third Intermediate Cohort of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). The achievement highlights Belize’s continued commitment to strengthening its epidemiological workforce and national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.
The FETP is a tiered, hands-on professional development program that builds progressively advanced epidemiological skills. The Frontline/One Health level centers on surveillance and outbreak detection, while the Intermediate level focuses on developing analytical, leadership, laboratory, surveillance, and scientific communication competencies. The advanced program prepares epidemiologists for national-level leadership roles in applied research and emergency response.
Belize has steadily expanded its epidemiological workforce since launching its pilot FETP training in 2010 with support from CDC-CAP and the University of North Carolina. Since then, 23 professionals have completed the Intermediate level, 145 the Basic/Frontline level, and nine the Advanced training.
In the 2025 cohort, eleven health professionals completed Intermediate training between May and November, bringing the total number of graduates at this level to 33. Their field projects covered a wide range of priority health concerns, including chickenpox, dengue, malaria, leishmaniasis, HIV, tuberculosis, measles, CKD, suicide, and healthcare-associated infections. These projects showcased data-driven surveillance, outbreak investigation, and health system improvement strategies.
Officials emphasized that the graduates are now equipped to lead critical outbreak investigations, strengthen surveillance systems, and mentor incoming trainees—further expanding Belize’s national epidemiological capacity.
