Chandigarh:- Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, organized and conducted the *first contact session of the* *five-day Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Programme (I-FETP) in collaboration with National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)* from 13th to 17th July 2026 (at Hotel Park View) in Chandigarh. The I-FETP, is a flagship capacity building initiative of the *Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and was expanded through a national network of 14 Regional Hubs and inaugurated by the Union Health Secretary.*
The training programme was conducted under the guidance of *Dr. P.V.M. Lakshmi* (Nodal Officer for I-FETP), Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, with mentorship from PGIMER faculty and experts from the World Health Organization.
*PGIMER is one of the 14 National Regional Hubs for the one-year postgraduate certificate programme* , which aims to achieve the national target of one trained epidemiologist per 200,000 population, thereby strengthening India's disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and overall public health preparedness.
*The first contact session was attended by 16 participants from the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh, including Medical Officers, District Epidemiologists, and District Surveillance Officers. Through lectures, practical exercises, case studies, and interactive discussions, the programme strengthened participants' skills in disease surveillance, data analysis, and outbreak investigation.* This training programme was the first of the five scheduled sessions over one year, under the guidance of experienced mentors.