Human resources represent a major challenge in terms of both quantity and capacity of the healthcare delivery system to address Angola's public health needs. Angola currently has one physician, fourteen nurses, one pharmacist and one laboratory technician per 10,000 people. These statistics illuminate the critical shortage of skilled public health workers, particularly field epidemiologists and laboratory managers, with the capacity to respond to the increasing public health needs in the Republic of Angola. This shortage of qualified and capable health care workers poses a major challenge for healthcare delivery. The Angola Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (A-FELTP) is a collaborative effort of the Angola Ministry of (MoH), University Agostinho Neto, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), and PEPFAR to address human resource issues regarding qualified epidemiology and lab personnel.

The shortage of qualified health care workers poses a major challenge for quality and sustainable health care delivery. Implementation of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) will 1)enhance retention of health care providers through specialization opportunities; 2) increase the number of qualified professionally trained health care workers through short term trainings (60 annually in field-based applied epidemiology, laboratory management and public health practice training); 3)strengthening the capacity of health and training institutions to meet accreditation standards; 4) contribute to the development of specific evidence based pre-service curricula; 5) in collaboration with the Avian Influenza program, through a staged process, 6-12 residents will be trained annually to earn a specialization or masters degree in public health; 6) develop curriculum for training of trainers and terms of reference for the lab trainers to build human resources to support expansion and decentralization of the laboratory network. Partnerships will be sought with the private sector to support students enrolled in the program. The program will be initiated in Luanda; other provincial universities that are now being stood up could receive training support initially via distant learning technology sponsored by the World Bank. Technical assistance will be provided to explore twinning opportunities with compatible universities to strengthen and adopt standardized, pre-service competency-based education driven by evidence of need. The USG support for the A-FELTP, Angolan Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, at UAN is consistent with the Government of Angola (GRA's) National Strategic Plan to strengthen a cadre of public health professionals to adequately respond to the national initiative to combat HIV/AIDS. A Memorandum of Understanding has been executed among the Ministry of Health, UAN and AFENET to establish the A-FELTP.

The roles and responsibilities of MOH are as follows: Serve as a major stakeholder and leader to support the training program throughout the project lifecycle, providing guidance and leadership for the A-FELTP Sponsor the A-FELTP, essentially supporting, owning and managing the A-FELTP Recruit or assign health professionals (preferably Epidemiologists or Public Health physicians) to operate in the positions of Epidemiology Director and Laboratory Director to coordinate and manage the program Provide access to national surveillance data and grant authorization to investigate and respond to public health outbreaks and other emergencies in a timely fashion Develop and supply a list of competency domains that should be addressed by the training curriculum Coordinate and oversee the screening of candidates for the A-FELTP Sponsor MOH trainees (pays full salary throughout the period of training) Support and facilitate field practicum of the trainees Grant a specialization certification upon successful completion In collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, develop and facilitate the career ladder/career structure of trainees, upon completion of FELTP, allowing for possible promotion and salary increase based on candidate's qualifications in an effort to retain highly qualified field epidemiologists and public health laboratory technicians in government positions. Provide MOH sites, at Central, Provincial and/or District levels for placement of the participants during the training period Be the main beneficiary and end user of the product/graduates of the course Provide expertise in co-supervision of candidates during field attachment in partnership with CDC-Angola and ANU. Chairs and convenes the steering committee. .

The USG will fund the MOH to achieve the following activities:

Develop and implement, along with other partners, an integrated and sustainable training plan to build evidence-based public health capacity.

Develop, along with other partners, curriculum and facilitate courses in epidemiology, surveillance, outbreak investigation, biostatistics, among others, along with local faculty, MOH staff, and other guest lecturers.

Work with counterparts to develop guidelines for trainee selection and select first cohort of trainees

Work with counterparts to develop field site guidelines and obtain site commitments for participation.

Designate a program director or other local focal person to be mentored to assume leadership responsibility and overall program management responsibility.

Strengthen affiliations with international organizations, the Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and Training in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network, an umbrella organization of applied epidemiology and laboratory programs in other countries, and

Enhance communications and networking of public health practitioners and researchers in the country and throughout the region.

Enhance linkages between public health epidemiology and laboratories.

Register up to 30 participants for each of two short courses.

Register the first cohort students for the 2 year program.