Strengthening Data-Driven Public Health: IFETP Officers Advance Epidemiological Data Analysis Skills in Kolkata

The Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Programme (IFETP) successfully concluded its intensive 5-day 4th Contact Session held from 11–15 May 2026 at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AllHPH) in Kolkata, India, with a strong focus on strengthening data analysis competencies among participating officers.

The workshop provided comprehensive training covering the full epidemiological data workflow, beginning with foundational concepts such as data types, statistical tests, and data cleaning, before progressing to hands-on software applications for public health analysis.

Throughout the session, officers developed practical skills in descriptive epidemiology, particularly in time and person analysis, using the Jamovi interface. Participants also gained valuable geospatial analysis experience through the use of QGIS for place-based epidemiological analysis.

A major milestone of the contact session was the transition of officers from guided demonstrations to independently analysing their own epidemiological study data. By the conclusion of the training, participants were successfully cleaning datasets and rapidly producing spot maps, choropleth maps, and epidemic curves to support public health decision-making.

The efficiency of the analyses was further enhanced through newly developed Jamovi and QGIS modules created by the team to help streamline public health workflows and strengthen data-driven epidemiological practice.

The successful completion of the contact session reflects the programme’s continuing commitment to empowering the next generation of epidemiologists with practical analytical skills essential for modern public health surveillance and response.