Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and Minister of Chemical and Fertilizers, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, virtually laid the foundation for the new building of ICMR School of Public Health at ICMR- National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in Ayappakkam, Chennai.

The new building of ICMR School of Public Health will be the first step towards ICMR-NIE’s goal of training at least 150 mid-level public health professionals over the next three years. Special focus is being provided to the states with an inadequately trained workforce.

The new facility will support the ongoing public health capacity programmes of ICMR-NIE. The institute has been conducting Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) meant to strengthen the public health workforce in India since 2001.

The institute has trained more than 300 public health professionals from 30 States/UTs in the country, including 90 from Tamil Nadu. The FETP trainees from Indian public health systems learn public health skills by responding to public health emergencies such as disasters and outbreaks, evaluating how health programmes work, and doing epidemiologic studies to identify solutions to priority public health problems in their State.

NIE conducts two-year India FETP leading to MPH, India Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)- Southern Hub, FETP –Non-Communicable Diseases and Intermediate FETP – Non-Communicable Diseases.