[European Program for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET): a training epidemiologic intervention in Europe]

The European programme for interventional epidemiology training (EPIET) offers a two year practical training in European national institutes mandated for the surveillance and control of communicable diseases. The training, closely supervised by senior epidemiologists, allows each EPIET fellow to learn while serving and conducting tasks devoted to intervention epidemiologists (surveillance, investigation, research, aid to decision making, and communication with the public, the media, the health authorities and the scientific community). The programme is equally funded by the European Commission, the 15 member states, Norway and the World Health Organisation. This training, derived from the North American and British experiences offers a practical complement to knowledge acquired from European universities. EPIET fellows, their supervisors and colleagues from training institutes have rapidly formed a network of intervention epidemiologists necessary for conducting and coordinating the surveillance of communicable diseases in Europe.