Core competencies in applied infectious disease epidemiology: a framework for countries in Europe

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) initially established a competency framework in 2009 to ensure a skilled public health workforce across European Union countries.
• The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for harmonized international public health strategies and competencies, particularly in infectious disease epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the process of updating the ECDC's competency framework for applied infectious disease epidemiology.
• To highlight ECDC's initiatives in supporting European countries to effectively utilize the updated framework.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, including 42 qualitative interviews with experts, workshops with the ECDC Technical Advisory Group, and an online survey of 212 public health professionals.
• Input was gathered from specialists across Europe and beyond to inform the framework's revision.

Main Results:

• The updated framework comprises 157 core competencies organized into 23 domains.
• These domains are mapped to six key subject areas crucial for applied infectious disease epidemiology.

Conclusions:

• The revised competency framework provides a foundation for updating the ECDC Fellowship programme curriculum.
• The framework supports two specialized training paths: intervention epidemiology and public health microbiology.