Partnerships in International Applied Epidemiology Training and Service, 1975-2001

In 1951 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the Epidemic Intelligence Service to provide training and epidemiologic service on the model of a clinical residency program. By January 2001, an additional 28 ap plied epidemiology and training programs (AETPs) had been implemented aroun d the globe (with over 945 graduates and 420 persons currently in training) . Field Epidemiology Training Programs and Public Health Schools Without Wa lls are the most common models. Applied epidemiologists, or field epidemiol ogists, use science as the basis for intervention programs designed to impr ove public health. AETPs train people by providing them with health compete ncies through providing service to public health intervention programs and strengthening health systems. AETPs are relatively expensive to create and maintain, but they are highly sustainable and can produce immediate benefit s. Of the 19 programs that began before 1997, 18 (95%) continue to produce graduates. The Training Programs in Epidemiology for Public Health Interven tions Network was organized in 1997 to provide support, peer review, and qu ality assurance for AETPs. In 2001, new programs are planned or in developm ent in India, Argentina, China, and Russia.