Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC202541 (Poster 161) | Published: 06 Aug 2025
Mariame Bonkano Laurent Comlan1,&, Aishat Bukola Usman2, Virgil Kouassi Lokossou2, Kerton Richard Victory3 , Amadou Woury Jallow4
1Economic Community of West African States Regional Center for Surveillance and Disease Control, Abuja, Nigeria, 2West African Health Organization (WAHO), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 3Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States, 4Ministry of Health, Banjul, the Gambia
&Corresponding author: Mariame Bonkano Laurent Comlan, West African Health Organization, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, Email: mlaurentcomlan@support.wahooas.org
Received: 31 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 06 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: One Health, FELTP Frontline, zoonotic Diseases, ECOWAS, RCSDC
©Mariame Bonkano Laurent Comlan et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Mariame Bonkano Laurent Comlan et al., Field epidemiology and laboratory training program to strengthen Gambia public health surveillance system, 20242. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00305. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00305
The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to address zoonotic diseases and emerging public health threats. Integrating this concept into training programs enhances the capacity of health systems to detect, prevent, and respond to complex health challenges. The Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) Frontline model, widely used to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance and response, was adapted in The Gambia to incorporate a One Health approach following regional mentor training by the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control.
The Gambia’s One Health FELTP Frontline cohort recruited participants from human health, veterinary, and environmental sectors. The training combined classroom instruction with field-based activities focused on disease surveillance, data quality audits, outbreak investigation, fishbone problem analysis, zoonotic disease epidemiology, laboratory techniques, and integration of human-animal health data. Partnerships with national ministries and agencies supported practical learning and sectoral collaboration.
The program successfully trained multidisciplinary professionals equipped to lead outbreak responses across sectors. Graduates conducted joint investigations of zoonotic disease outbreaks and contributed to national surveillance activities. The initiative fostered strong collaboration between public health, veterinary, and environmental institutions, improving coordinated responses to health threats.
The Gambia’s One Health FELTP Frontline cohort demonstrates the value of integrated, cross-sectoral training in strengthening national health systems. By building a skilled, multidisciplinary workforce, the program enhances sustainable disease control and supports a holistic approach to public health.
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