The Ministry of Health in collaboration with Uganda National Institute of Public Health hosted the 8th National Field Epidemiology Conference under the theme, “Sustaining Efforts to Build a Resilient Disease Surveillance and Response System” on January 12, 2023 at Africana Hotel, Kampala, Uganda. The conference opened with remarks by UNIPH Executive Director, Dr. Alex Ario Riolexus, UPHFP Resident Advisor, Dr. Julie R. Harris, and MoH representative, Mr. Atek Kagirita. The Field Epidemiologists were applauded for their outstanding contribution towards the detection and response to public health emergencies; most especially for having been instrumental during the 2022 Sudan Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Uganda.
During this conference, 28 fellows of the Advanced Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), Cohorts 2021 and 2022 presented key findings ranging from analysis of surveillance data and outbreak investigations, which they had undertaken during their in-service training. This annual conference was physically attended by 177 participants from these institutions: Ministry of Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Infectious Disease Institute (IDI), Kampala Capital City Authority, Joint Clinical Research Collaboration (JCRC), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Uganda, Regional Referral Hospitals, District Health Teams, and the media fraternity.
We acknowledge the highlighted institutions and all conference participants for their contribution towards the success of the conference.