Newsletter March 2004 REST We are pleased to announce that once a month a Regular EPIET Scientific Telephone conference (REST) will be held among EPIET fellows during which one scientific presentation will be made and based on CD or Internet visual support. The first REST meeting will be held on Wednesday April 14th and will be given by Mirna du Ry van Best Holle on the Outbreak of H7N7 in NL and recent info of avian flu issues. Practical information will follow by e-mail. Topics of interest are welcome. Next EPIET Introductory course & Scientific seminar The 9th Epiet Scientific Seminar will be held in Mahon, Menorca, Spain from October 14 to 16 2004 following the 10th EPIET Introductory course. This year we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of EPIET and aim at gathering in Mahon all colleagues who have participated in EPIET courses or contributed to the development of EPIET in the past ten years. EPIET modules Computer tools and outbreak investigation The 4th module on "Computer tools for outbreak investigation" was held in Athens in November 2003. EPIET fellows from cohort 9 and Greek colleagues took part in a one week long interactive training based on computerised exercises using EPIINFO, EPIDATA, and Excell. Communication The 10th EPIET module on communication was held at CDSC London from 19 to 23 January 2004. It gathered EPIET fellows from cohort 9 and EPIET fellows from cohort 8 who missed it last year. Topics developed included approach to radio and TV interviews, learning and negotiation skills, risk communication and scientific writing. Time series analysis and Logistic regression The next EPIET module will be held in Bordeaux France from 10 to 15 May 2004. It will be devoted to Times series analysis and Logistic regression. Applications are closed. Future modules - Computer tools for outbreak investigation in November 2004 - Workshop cohort 8 and 9: preparing Scientific Seminar. September 2004, Copenhagen - Communication at CDSC in London in January 2005 - Vaccination module in May-June 2005 - Rapid assessment module in March 2005 - Bioterrorism module in March 2005. Steering Committee meeting Signature by EC of the convention related to funding the 9th cohort of EPIET fellows is still pending. SMI in Sweden, the EPIET budget holder, and several member states are advancing funds needed for cohort 9 since October 2003. In response to the call for proposals issued by EC DG Sanco in March 2004, SMI, the budget holder of EPIET will submit a proposal covering 2 cohorts (10 and 11) of EPIET fellows. According to recent information provided by DG Sanco, the funding of EPIET fellows salaries with EC money is highly uncertain for cohort 10 and 11. If maintained, this would be the first time since the creation of EPIET that salaries of EPIET fellows would be funded by member sates only. If the EC decision is confirmed equity of access to and sustainability of the EPIET programme will be jeopardised.
It is hoped that future cohorts will be administered by the newly created European centre for the prevention and control of communicable diseases. We hope that long term financial support (5 years) of EPIET and other EU programmes will be channelled through the centre. EPIET Programme Office As most of you already know, Anna Bohlin is now working at the EPIET Programme Office in Stockholm helping Carole to administer the programme. We are in good hands. International missions H5N1 EPIET fellows and coordinators contributed to the recent WHO response to the avian flu threat In Asia. Arnold Bosman and Mirna Du Ry van Best Holle went to Hanoi, Viet Nam. Chikwe Ikweazu and Katri Jalava went and help WHO in Geneva. Katri, Chikwe and Arnold were involved in the international workshop, the WHO Consultation on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness on H5N1 held at WHO in Geneva between 16-18 of March. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the influenza pandemic preparedness plans and to draft more detailed plans for early detection of a pandemic, prepare possible public health interventions and strategies to cope with overwhelming demands on vaccines. Injection Safety Cynthia Lemos, EPIET fellow based in Madrid, is currently contributing to a large WHO survey on injection safety in Mozambique. NIPAH Like virus Alice Croisier, EPIET fellow based at WHO Lyon, France, was involved in sero-surveys and case control studies conducted in the context of the investigation of a NIPAH like viral outbreak in Bangladesh. Contribution to International training ISRAEL In December 2004, Alain Moren contributed to the national course on field epidemiology held annually by the Israeli CDC . Facilitators included Israeli colleagues trained in the Veyrier course. Participants included colleagues from the Jewish, Palestinian and Arabic communities. Middle East Epidemiology course EPIET will contribute (one facilitator) to a future course of Epidemiology organised by Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Palestine in June 2004 in Cyprus. Romania Under the coordination of Biagio Pedalino (cohort 7), several EPIET fellows (Aoife Doyle, Massimiliano Di Renzi, Dolors Carnicer Pont and Klaudia Porten) and alumni (Olivier Ronveaux, Marta Valenciano, Fernando Simon Soria, Viviane Bremer) contributed as facilitators to the first three week course of field Epidemiology organised in Romania (PHARE project). Greece In order to further prepare disease surveillance and control during the Olympic games in Greece, the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control organised in collaboration with EPIET two one week courses in Athens in February and March 2004. Paolo D'Ancona, Andrea Gervelmeyer, Biagio Pedalino, Costas Danis, Angie Rose, Bernadette Gergonne, Anne Mazick, Mike Catchpole, and Alain Moren helped Nikoletta Mavroidi and Takis Panagiotopoulos in running the two sessions. An agreement between KEEL and EPIET is in progress in order to facilitate assignment of EPIET fellows and supervisors at KEEL in case of PH emergencies during the Olympic Games.