China is home to more than 20% of the world’s human population and a much greater percentage of the world’s livestock. These large populations often overlap with wildlife and the environment and this has led to the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases with great economic and social impacts. Despite best efforts, China still faces complex challenges in controlling diseases such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) recognises that there is a severe lack of veterinary epidemiology capacity in China, which has hampered effective risk management. It requires competent veterinary field epidemiologists who can conduct surveillance efficiently and can investigate and respond to disease outbreaks effectively and rapidly. Therefore, the MoA has partnered with FAO to develop the China Field Epidemiology Training Program for Veterinarians (China FETPV) in response to this need.

Although at its early stage, the program already provides some government agencies with veterinary field epidemiologists who can respond effectively and rapidly to animal diseases events. For instance, FETPV trainees and Chinese trainers played significant roles during recent national responses to H7N9 and Pest de Petites Ruminants (PPR), and recommendations from their investigations have influenced government policies on these diseases.

Through the China FETPV platform, innovative activities have been introduced. In addition to providing support and tuition in epidemiology to Chinese trainers, a basic course for western provinces was held in July this year, taught by these Chinese trainers. A training program for university academics was launched earlier this year with cooperation with Huazhong Agriculture University.

The China FETPV has also tailored short training sessions for senior executives in provinces (FETPV-E) to give them an understanding of what epidemiology can do for them and how to work with their epidemiologists. The first FETPV-E was very successful in achieving those objectives and in summary, the provincial Directors went away saying that ‘’They wanted more Epidemiology and they wanted it Now!’’.

Even though China FETPV has made big progress, there are still limited numbers of trained veterinary epidemiologists in the government veterinary services, and it is far behind the real demand. Therefore, a sustainable capacity development program on veterinary epidemiology is required for rapid expansion in China at all levels. As the founders and leading organizations, the Veterinary Bureau of MoA and China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center (CAHEC) share this vision strongly.

Most importantly, the China FETPV has leveraged financial and in-kind support from its Chinese partners and has gradually integrated into the government system. Meanwhile, some international assistance is still required in the short to medium term, to develop more Chinese trainers in order to drive the program towards sustainability. A sustainable development program on veterinary epidemiology for China will be of great benefit to help control and respond to disease threats across the country, the Asian region and globally.