The article reviewed the history and current state of intervention epidemiology training in Europe, highlighting its successes and ongoing challenges. It explained how training programs, inspired by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, were established across Europe to build a skilled public health workforce capable of responding quickly to disease outbreaks. The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) and various national Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETP) were described as effective but facing issues such as limited capacity, funding uncertainties, and the need for better integration and recognition. The article concluded that while these programs had significantly contributed to public health in Europe, further expansion and stronger collaboration were needed to meet future challenges and ensure a robust epidemiological workforce.
I was invited by two outstanding epidemiologists to contribute to this perspectives paper on the training of epidemiologists. At the time, Gerard Krause served as Chair of the EPIET Training Site Forum, and Alain Moren was the Chief Coordinator of the EPIET programme. My contribution focused on articulating the perspective of EU Member States that joined the EU in 2004, many of which faced challenges related to differences in public health system structures and limited access to training in modern epidemiological methods.