ABSTRACT
The International Course on Epidemiology and Applied Data Processing in Africa (Cours IEIAA) is a practical 4-week Fre n ch - l a n g u age training course for professional health care personnel wo rking in A f rica. The fi rst course was organ i zed in 1998 by the A s s o c i ation pour l'Aide a la Medecine Preve n t ive (Association for the Promotion of Preve n t ive Medicine). The course organizing committee includes a pedagogical director and a faculty of field epidemiology experts. Course activities are designed to give attendees competency in epidemiology; biostatistics; computer techniques and communication. Attendance is funded mainly through education grants from the French Foreign Affairs Ministry; WHO; UNICEF; Belgian Te chnical Cooperat i o n ; Swiss Te chnical Cooperat i o n ; and German GTZ. Based on 7 ye a rs of ex p e ri e n c e; c o n s i d e ration is now being given to transforming this course into a tutorial Field Epidemiology Training Program modeled after those now operating in Ghana and Uganda [TEPHINET members Programs located in Africa]