Collaborative Efforts in Science and Education: The 19th Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program (CFETP) Successfully Held by China CDC

From August 14 to 15, 2024, the 19th Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program (CFETP) was held in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. This event was jointly organized by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, and hosted by the Shanxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Shanxi CDC).

 

Attendees were key figures including Li Qun and Shi Xiaoming, Deputy Directors of China CDC; Feng Zijian, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association; Zeng Guang, CFETP Founder and Honorary Advisor; Shi Xiuping, Deputy Director of the Shanxi Provincial Health Commission and Director of the Shanxi Provincial CDC; Tang Xuefeng, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Health Commission and Party Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial CDC; Dr. W. William Schluter, the Director of US CDC program office in China; Dongni Wu, Chief Epidemiology Expert of the Communicable Disease Branch (CDB) Center for Health Protection, Hong Kong Department of Health; Wang Tong, Dean of the School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University; and Dong Haiyuan, Party Secretary of the Shanxi Provincial CDC. Also in attendance were representatives from the Division of Epidemiological Investigation and Guidance，Department of Infectious Disease Control，National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, leaders from various divisions and affiliated institutions of China CDC, as well as leaders from several provincial and municipal CDCs. CFETP trainees and graduates, intermediate-level FETP trainees, supervising mentors, trainees from the surveillance and early warning programs on infectious disease, Hong Kong FETP trainees, and trainees from various provincial FETPs also participated in the conference.

 

The opening ceremony was presided over by Ma Huilai, Director of Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program (CFETP)，and Director of Office of Epidemiology(Technical Guidance Office for Patriotic Health Work) of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Opening remarks were delivered by Shi Xiaoming, Feng Zijian, and Shi Xiuping. Dong Haiyuan, Party Secretary of the Shanxi Provincial CDC, hosted the keynote session, with keynote speeches delivered by Feng Zijian, Li Qun, Zeng Guang, Dr. W. William Schluter, and Wang Tong on the following topics: “Reflections on the Surveillance and Early Warning of Emerging Infectious Diseases,” “Enhancing Field Epidemiology Capacity in Public Health Practice,” “Field Epidemiology and Public Health Prevention Strategies,” “Update of Global FETP,” and “From Addressing Public Health Issues to Scientific Innovation.”

A total of 703 abstracts were submitted to the conference, of which 43 were selected for oral presentations and 70 for poster presentations. The presentations were followed by lively discussions and exchanges.

 

The CFETP was launched by the former Ministry of Health in 2001, with the first CFETP academic conference held in Beijing in October 2006. Since then, it has been an annual event. The CFETP academic conference has become an essential platform for FETP professionals across the country to share experiences, showcase achievements, and engage in collaborative dialogue, significantly contributing to improving the quality of FETP training and establishing and refining China’s FETP training network.