Cultivating Humanitarian Response Leaders

At a glance

Russia's war in Ukraine has resulted in the displacement of approximately 20% of Ukraine's population across Europe. As the conflict persists, a well-trained and well-equipped public health workforce is needed to respond swiftly and effectively to the rising number of refugees and internally displaced people.

Six individuals sit on a couch talking to one another during a SIMEX exercise. Two people hold papers and four people have laptops.

Training opportunities

Between June and October 2022, 75 Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) residents and graduates participated in a six-day humanitarian emergencies and epidemiology training. This training aims to strengthen humanitarian emergency response capacity across the region. To date, trainings have been held in Ukraine, Georgia, and most recently in Moldova. They included participants from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

These trainings aim to position FETP as a resource for leaders and emergency responders. They establish a roster of ready-to-deploy field epidemiologists from diverse backgrounds and experiences, fostering shared language and customs across the region.

Thanks to the training, I have been able to coordinate a range of measures more effectively and efficiently. This includes immunization of refugee children against measles, epidemiological surveillance, and anti-epidemic measures. This knowledge has enabled me to make a substantial contribution to the health and safety of our region.
-Dr. Nicolai Gaisan, Epidemiologist for the Moldova National Agency for Public Health.

The training consists of instructive and practical elements, including:

  • Three days of competency-based training
  • Three days of simulation exercises (SIMEX)
  • Needs assessment and survey missions
  • Establishing Early Warning Alert and Response systems

The exercises gave trainees the chance to apply classroom concepts to hands-on learning that are delivered in partnership with the World Health Organization, CDC, and the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network.

Six individuals sit on a couch talking to one another during a SIMEX exercise. Two people hold papers and four people have laptops.
Participants from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Armenia on the SIMEX exercise.

Humanitarian emergencies

Multiple factors can result in a humanitarian emergency. This can include forced migration, disease outbreaks, environmental degradation, climate-related events, limited access to healthcare, and prolonged conflict. In these complex environments, the risk of infectious disease outbreaks is amplified. Trainings provide FETP residents and alumni with the skills required to support humanitarian relief efforts.

One of the things that makes this training so impactful is that it is not just theoretical; these people are responding to refugees or to their own internally displaced people or affected populations, so it makes it very emotional and real.
-Dr. Boris Pavlin of the World Health Emergencies Programme and co–founder of the humanitarian emergencies and epidemiology training course.

In 2019, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 120 million people with an urgent need for humanitarian aid and protection. However, today, the absence of standardized trainings to strengthen the public health competencies and capabilities necessary for a humanitarian response deployment persist. This course, based on the FETP "learning by doing" methodology, offers a starting point for the institutionalization of these capacities and proven teaching methods for epidemiological approaches for humanitarian emergencies.

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Content Source:
Global Health Center