Folkhälsomyndigheten (FOHM) - EUPHEM

Contact person

Katherina Zakikhany (main EUPHEM supervisor) and Theresa Enkirch (EUPHEM co-supervisor)
Tel. +46 10 205 26 33 / +46 10 205 2149

The description of the institute

• Folkhälsomyndigheten (The Public Health Agency of Sweden) has a national responsibility for public health issues and works to ensure good public health. The agency also works to ensure that the population is protected against communicable diseases and other health threats. An important mission from the government is also to monitor the health status of the population and the factors affecting health.
• The Public Health Agency of Sweden has the overall national responsibility for protecting the population against communicable diseases and coordinates communicable disease control on a national level. This includes developing regulations, recommendations and guidance for healthcare professionals, as well as introduction of new and surveillance of existing vaccination programmes and emergency preparedness for health threats. The agency is also involved in and leading a variety of other activities, such as coordination of activities to fight antibiotic resistance and projects including improvement of infection control, control of healthcare-associated infection and STI´s.
• The Public Health Agency of Sweden is actively engaged in public health work within organizations including the EU, ECDC and WHO. Through cooperation with these and other stakeholders, the agency also contributes to the implementation of Sweden’s policy for global development.
• At the Public Health Agency of Sweden, microbiological laboratory analyses are performed, including routine diagnostics, specialized typing assays and round-the clock preparedness diagnostics. The agency also supports quality- and method development at subnational laboratories engaged in diagnostics of communicable disease pathogens. Other important tasks include providing expert support in outbreak investigations and maintaining laboratory preparedness needed for effective communicable disease control in the country. The agency also provides operational support to the regions, county councils and national municipalities during outbreaks.

Training opportunities

The Public Health Agency of Sweden is an acknowledged training site for both the EUPHEM and the EPIET track. For all projects, experts and skilled supervisors will be available to train and supervise the fellows.

The EUPHEM fellow will be placed at the ‘Unit for Laboratory Surveillance of Viral Pathogens and Vaccine Preventable Diseases’, but will have the opportunity to participate in projects and training opportunities in all units within the Department of Microbiology as well as units working with epidemiological projects, data analysis and statistics.

Training programmes and projects for the EUPHEM fellow will be tailored to suit training needs, based on the requirements for the EUPHEM core competencies, previous experience, and personal interests. Training in BSL-3 facilities is available.

Training supervision

The EUPHEM fellow will be supervised by members of the EUPHEM and EPIET supervising team at The Public Health Agency of Sweden. For specific tasks and assignments, the fellow will be supervised by the respective project scientist/supervisor.

Supervision is coordinated by: Dr. Katherina Zakikhany, EUPHEM alumnus (C2010-2012).

Language requirements

English. 

Training history

Three EU-track EUPHEM fellows and 2 MS-track EUPHEM fellows have been trained at the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

More than 24 EPIET fellows (both EU- and MS-track fellows) trained at institute. There are two EUPHEM alumni and eight EPIET alumni employed at the training site.