Honorable Minister of Health,
Madam Representative of the World Health Organization,
Mr. Representative of UNICEF,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of Technical and Financial Partners,
Mr. Representative of AFENET,
Ladies and Gentlemen Mentors and Supervisors,
Ladies and Gentlemen Members of the Third Cohort,
All present,
It is always a great pleasure for me to celebrate our partnership in the field of public health. Today, we recognize an essential step in the strengthening of the Mauritanian health system: that of the promotion of the third cohort resulting from field epidemiology training.
Three months ago – in February 2022 – we launched this program with the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. The CDC has helped train more than 18,000 epidemiologists in more than 80 countries through its flagship program: Field Epidemiology Training (FETP). At that launch, I had already noticed the enthusiasm amongst the residents of the third cohort. Even today, I notice the same thing.
Indeed, the determination of our health actors is more than necessary today, to face current and future public health challenges. FETP increases the country’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to anticipated and unexpected threats – early. FETP also helps to compensate for the lack of qualified epidemiologists. And it assists countries to build their critical capacities in global health security by expanding the pool of public health personnel.
Minister of Health,
Dear Partners,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me address the residents of the third cohort. Your job is fundamental to the healthcare system and your efforts save lives. Indeed, your daily work contributes to reducing human suffering and making the world a safer place. The knowledge and skills acquired during this training make you major players in the implementation of the principles of global health and safety. You are key personnel in upgrading Mauritania’s surveillance and response system, from the peripheral level to the central level. I salute your determination and congratulate you on your successes. Much work awaits you and I know that you will live up to the hopes placed in you.
Thanks to the commitment and wisdom of your mentors and supervisors, you have risen to this level of expertise. I salute their work as well, and know how difficult it is to mentor residents across the country and the logistical challenges they have had to overcome.
I’d also like to express my satisfaction with the cooperation between the Ministry of Health, the CDC, and the African Epidemiologists Network (AFENET). My gratitude goes to our partners at the World Health Organization and UNICEF for their support, which goes well beyond the current training.
I cannot end without expressing my appreciation for the excellent collaboration with the Ministry of Health, whose services have made all this work and these successes possible. Finally, I express my gratitude to the other ministries of “One Health,” the Ministry of Livestock, and the Ministry of the Environment for their presence and for all the efforts made in the fight against disease.
Thank you.
