On March 12–13, 2026, the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) proudly hosted the graduation ceremonies of 27 Chiefdom Supervisors from the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Light. The events were held at the Koidu DHMT headquarters in Kono District and the Karene DHMT in Kamakwie, beginning with Muslim and Christian prayers to reflect unity and inclusivity.
In Kono, the ceremony was chaired by Dr. Mohammed G. Sheku, district medical officer, who welcomed participants and expressed gratitude to NPHA for selecting his district. He emphasized the importance of timely disease detection and surveillance, noting that training community health workers and traditional healers through WHO and Pandemic Fund support was a major step forward. In Karene, Dr. Chernor Jalloh, DMO of Karene, chaired the ceremony and congratulated the 13 graduates, encouraging them to apply their skills with integrity and commitment.
At both ceremonies, Mr. Kabba Sheriff, Workforce Program Manager, provided an update on Sierra Leone’s FETP journey, tracing its origins to the Ebola outbreak and highlighting the progress made with support from the US CDC, AFENET, and WHO. He reminded participants that while the program is resource‑intensive, it remains vital to Sierra Leone’s health security.
Partners also delivered statements. Dr. Gebru, FETP Resident Advisor, commended AFENET’s role in providing technical guidance and regional expertise. Mr. Victor Caulker, WHO Representative, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to community‑level surveillance. Mr. John B. Caulker, US CDC representative, congratulated the graduates and emphasized that strong health security begins at the frontline, where health workers collect, analyze, and act on data. He noted CDC’s pride in partnering with Sierra Leone to build a tiered FETP program, Frontline, Intermediate, and Light, that strengthens resilience and supports global health priorities.
Although unavoidably absent due to competing events abroad, Professor Foday Sahr, Executive Director of NPHA, sent his message through PRO Miss Rachael Kuyembeh, who congratulated the graduates and reminded them that their achievement is both personal and national. She emphasized that the program embeds surveillance capacity at the chiefdom level and urged graduates to act as champions of evidence‑based decision-making.
In total, 14 Chiefdom Supervisors graduated in Kono and 13 in Karene. Among them, two women stood out: Madam Agnes M. Bundu in Kono and Isatu Tarawa in Karene, highlighting progress toward greater female representation in public health.
These graduations underscore Sierra Leone’s commitment to building a resilient health workforce. As Alexander Langmuir once affirmed: “Epidemiology is the basic science of public health.” The new graduates now carry that science into practice, safeguarding communities and strengthening Sierra Leone’s health security.
Public Relations
NPHA-SL