Among the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, many Member States expressed the crucial importance of the field epidemiology workforce as key components of health security systems, while countries also suggested the need for more trained epidemiologists to effectively cope with public health threats. There are emerging health challenges that demand solutions from the field epidemiology workforce, such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, and public health risks arising from human, animal and environment interface.
The Regional Roadmap to advance field epidemiology capacities in the WHO South-East Asia Region 2025–2029 was developed through consultation with the Member States and partners in the WHO South-East Asia Region. This Roadmap encourages Member States to embed the field epidemiology training programme into the broader health system strengthening efforts. The efforts to strengthen field epidemiology capacities should be responding to the public health needs of national and local health systems. As integral part of health workforce strengthening, adequate domestic resources should be allocated and those gaining field epidemiology competencies should receive adequate recognition and opportunities. Another important goal of this roadmap is to foster regional cooperation in further advancing field epidemiology and public health workforce capacities. Sharing and exchange of existing expertise, training resources, and good practices will advance mutual and collective learning in this field.
The Roadmaps proposes 12 strategic objectives under the following four goals:
