The Public Health Agency of the Ministry of Health (MOH) seeks to continuously improve on the health services in a manner that keeps abreast with the scientific and global developments. To that effect, epidemiology which is one of the fundamental sciences of the public health field took center stage. It is concerned with the way the diseases, epidemiological phenomena, and health problems occur and spread among individuals and communities and determinants of injury; through studying the surrounding factors and circumstances that have direct or indirect effect on health.
Such a science is to conduct the field surveillance, survey, and studies to determine size and type of the diseases and different health problems, reach proper solutions for them, and familiarize with the needs of the community in a way that contributes to drawing up the proper health plans and programs.
Hence, the need arose for launching the Field Epidemiology Training Program in 1409h, in collaboration with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the United States of America (USA) and the college of Medicine at King Saud University. The Field Epidemiology Program has significant contributions and achievements in the public health field as the Program through its academic programs on diploma and Master's degree as well as the other training program, is keen on continuously upgrading the level of those working in different health facilities of the MOH in terms of the prevention sector in all regions. This is with the aim of improving on their efficiency and building their capacities in a manner that copes with the ongoing development with regard to the quality of the health services on epidemiology field, methods of scientific research, statistical and geographical analysis and epidemiological surveillance.
Since its establishment till the end of 1434h, the Program produced 131 trainers working for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's different health regions. The Field Epidemiology Training Program is also a linking point between the MOH and some bodies with world, international expertise on the disease monitoring field and their control. It further makes arrangements for the visiting of the specialized experts to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; to provide consultations on some of the health issues and problems, if need be, through short, advisory visits.
All the more, the Program seriously participates in some of the national studies and the health surveys conducted by the MOH, rendering it the corner stone for the public health work of the MOH.
Dr. Raedah bint Muhammad Noah,
The Supervisor-General of the Field Epidemiology Trainig Program