An Ongoing Project
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The Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development (CVCHD) has pioneered the creation of the Cagayan Valley Collaborating Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CV CCDPC) with its vision to be the Center of Excellence in Applied Epidemiology and Surveillance that catalyzes evidence-based decision-making toward better policies and public health outcomes through the development of Committed, Competent, Compassionate and Responsive Surveillance Teams in Cagayan Valley. It is created to equip, empower and establish epidemiology and surveillance units (ESU) in every Local Health System (LHS) in Region 2 being the prime source of accurate, complete, and timely information for evidence-based decision-making.
On March 20, 2020, the first Coronavirus Disease - 2019 (COVID-19) was recorded in the region. As a new emerging infectious disease that has caused a global pandemic, COVID-19 gave us an awakening on the importance of establishing functional epidemiology units in all health facilities to strengthen their capacity for early detection and response to epidemics, thus maximizing integrated approach to outbreak detection, prevention and control from the community. Republic Act 11332 also known as the Law on Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern requires all Local Government Units (LGU) to establish a functional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) in response to the Universal Health Care Law. In Section 8 of this RA, all ESUs shall have human resource complement and have adequate resources to effectively perform disease surveillance and response functions.
Currently in the region, the disease surveillance systems procedures for data collection and public health investigation at different levels produce inefficiencies and duplication of efforts thus, there is a need to strengthen and streamline the disease surveillance and response and ensure the functionality of every ESU. In response to this situation, the Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development (CVCHD) through the creation of Cagayan Valley Collaborating Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CV CCDPC) conceptualized FETP Intermediate Course to equip health professionals in applied epidemiology and surveillance. However, the regional office needs the expertise of Field Epidemiologists on the appropriate training course to be conducted.
In May 2021, CVCHD has contracted FETPAFI to support the Cagayan Valley Epidemiology Center (CVEC) to train and strengthen the capacity of the Regional, Provincial, and City Disease Surveillance Officers and Health Professionals in early detection and response to epidemics and to adequately address emerging, re-emerging public health problems in Cagayan Valley.