Australia is advancing regional health security through the University of Newcastle Field Epidemiology in Action (FEiA) program, supporting public health systems in Papua

ASTEROID will develop and deliver a program of training materials to strengthen infection prevention and control in health facilities in Timor-Leste.

The project will also develop para-veterinary training modules to provide refresher training and hands-on skills development in zoonotic diseases, emerging infectious disease prevention, One Health and biosecurity, for existing para-veterinarians and associated animal health workforce in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

The team brought together and upskill frontline healthcare practitioners through running training programs such as the Advanced Field Epidemiology Training Program in PNG (A-FETPNG).

This program involved fellows who identified national priority areas and key focus areas for operational research. They then worked with policy makers, program managers, educators and health care workers to address these priority areas.

Around the world, having sufficient people trained in contact tracing has proven to be one of the key factors to successfully containing outbreaks of COVID-19, as well as other infectious diseases.

At the end of this project, FEiA will have trained up to 42 staff in field epidemiology who can conduct surveillance and implement public health interventions to help health authorities respond more quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.

At the end of the project, Pacific Island countries will have a cadre of well-trained field epidemiologists who can conduct co-ordinated disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, as well as carry out research to inform local and regional health priorities.