By Belize Live News Staff: The Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and SE-COMISCA, has successfully hosted the second workshop of the Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), reinforcing Belize’s commitment to strengthening its public health workforce.
This latest workshop, held at Lamanai Landings Hotel and Marina in the Orange Walk District, is part of the third Intermediate Cohort’s ongoing development. The training builds on earlier sessions launched in May, which focused on the fundamentals of disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, monitoring and evaluation, and descriptive epidemiology.
Workshop 2 emphasized practical epidemiological skills, including designing cross-sectional and case-control studies, calculating measures of association, and interpreting data. Trainees applied these concepts through real-world simulations and received personalized feedback from experienced mentors.
Participants also engaged in in-depth discussions about their ongoing deliverables, with dedicated time set aside for mentor-mentee sessions. A highlight of the week was a presentation on HEARTS in the Americas, a PAHO-led initiative on improving hypertension care. This provided valuable context for participants as they prepare their group research projects.
Adding to the workshop’s momentum, Prime Minister John Briceño visited the cohort, offering encouragement and reaffirming the government’s support for developing a robust epidemiological workforce. He praised the MOHW and its partners for their dedication to building Belize’s capacity to respond to health threats.
The second part of Workshop 2 continues online this week, ensuring continuous learning and collaboration among participants as they move forward in their training.
