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1. Background:
In April 2005, the USAID Mission in Pakistan agreed to fund
a three year proposal to establish a Field Epidemiology
and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), a comprehensive
approach to improve capacity in epidemiology, public health
surveillance and response, public health laboratories and
information systems for surveillance. In September 2006
FELTP, Pakistan was officially launched and first training
course started in 2007 in collaboration with MoH and NIH.
2. Major Components:
Pakistan Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program
(FELTP) The Pakistan FELTP is a two-year, in-service training
program in field epidemiology. Eight (08) medical doctors
form the Federal and Provincial health ministries have completed
two years training of the FELTP-Pakistan. The program currently
is imparting training to 27 medical doctors from the Ministry
of Health and Provincial Health Departments to be trained
as field epidemiologists.
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3. Viral Hepatitis:
Viral hepatitis is identified as a priority under the Prime
Minister's National Plan for Hepatitis. In support of this
plan, the FELTP has developed a detailed partner driven
protocol for the establishment of hospital-based sentinel
surveillance in three pilot sites in Islamabad, Peshawar,
and Lahore.
4. Legal Framework for Surveillance:
FELTP, Pakistan, CDC, WHO, and the MOH have initiated a
process of developing a legal framework for disease surveillance
in Pakistan in light of the revised International Health
Regulations (IHR).
5. Laboratory Quality Systems:
The FELTP is working to develop a generic laboratory quality
systems (LQS) plan for priority diseases to support infectious
disease surveillance system (such as influenza and viral
hepatitis). As a first step FELTP, in coordination with
the MOH, is supporting the development of Standard Operating
Protocols, Terms of Reference, and Emergency Operating Protocols
for laboratory testing of Acute Viral Hepatitis at the five
pilot laboratories (All provinces and federal capital).
6. Influenza Surveillance:
In response to poultry outbreaks of Influenza A (H5N1) in
Pakistan (2006), and in order to build respiratory disease
surveillance, the project is working with CDC's National
Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
and the MOH to measure disease burden of influenza through
sentinel site surveillance.
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