Learning by doing is what field epidemiology training is all about. Last week it was the trainers who came together to learn from each other how to improve mentoring and training in field epidemiology training programs. From 25-29 March 2019, the Australian National University's Research School of Population Health hosted 26 participants from ten countries around South East Asia and the Pacific, which included representatives from seven Field Epidemiology Training Programs in the region.

The workshop, funded by the Indo Pacific Centre for Health Security at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was developed after meetings held at the TEPHINET (Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network) conference in Laos in November 2018.

Field epidemiologists are at the front line of the prevention, containment and response efforts to public health emergencies at the country, regional and international level. This workshop was valuable, not only in terms of knowledge exchange but also in relationship building and strengthening people-to-people links. There are already plans for further collaborations in the region.