Objectives

1. Develop a distance learning programme in epidemiology for public health professionals in developing countries with a focus on countries in the Mediterranean region. Therefore contribute to the development of a Mediterranean network of health competencies aimed at improving health in specific areas of priority needs of the population.
2. Develop a centre for those wishing to learn techniques of epidemiological investigation in developing countries as well as for the transmission of distance learning information to other locations. Eventually this centre will become a centre for consultation and expertise in epidemiology and public health for developing countries.
3. This centre will become a clearing house for consultation on problems in public health as a logical complement to its role as a centre for distance learning in public health

Background

There is not a sufficient number of those able to teach techniques of epidemiological investigation in developing countries. This objective is difficult to achieve under current conditions because there is not a sufficient number of those able to teach these techniques in the countries in question, and it is too costly and time consuming to provide training to a sufficient number of individuals through travel to the developing countries by teachers or travel by students to developed countries (where the training is often not directly relevant). Therefore, we believe that the most cost effective method of teaching a large number of health professionals these techniques is through distance learning, using the Internet, telephone and satellite communication.

The training of professionals in public health in the techniques of epidemiological investigation will assure the improvement in, effectiveness and durability of health programs in these countries.

This will also stimulate collaboration and the formation of more effective networks than currently exist between health professionals in developing and developed countries. Such collaboration can range from practical public health collaborations, e.g., surveillance, travellers health issues, local outbreak situations to scientific collaboration on public health issues, e.g., emerging infections, antibiotic resistance, food and water contamination, outbreak investigations.

Furthermore, specialists in infectious diseases, for example, stress that many factors have contributed to the present emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. They identify the inadequate resources provided for public health structures and programmes as one of the most important factors. They call for a revitalisation of public health practices world-wide including better surveillance, preparedness and control. All of these subjects are part of the distance learning epidemiology programme and will help to respond adequately to the threat of emerging and re-emerging diseases.

The distance learning programme is currently being developed by the Centre Pensières of the Merieux Foundation.

Demonstration

This project is in its first phase, and the Merieux Foundation plans to:

• demonstrate a session of interactive distant learning in the field of epidemiology from the training centre to a distant health centre in the Mediterranean region;
• required to implement such a programme to other locations in developing countries.

The demonstration will present a videotape showing the rationale and the important steps of distant learning. It will also present a live distance learning session presenting a specific case study and using it as a problem-based learning to exemplify techniques of applied epidemiology and the interactive work between distant students, facilitators and local teacher.

Partners

This project involves a multidisciplinary team including the following partners from France :

• Institut Pasteur
• France Telecom
• Reseau National de Sante Publique (France)
• Universite Claude Bernard Lyon1
• Iusi
• Ecole Veterinaire
• Fondation Marcel Merieux.

Contact :

Dr Caroline Dupuy
Medical director Fondation Marcel Merieux

Tel : +334 72 73 77 78 or +331 4640 7563 (Paris)
Fax : +334 72 73 79 93

e-mail: dupuy@cismsun.univ-lyon1.fr

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