Dear APCOVE colleagues, partners, and friends,

It has been a busy and rewarding quarter for APCOVE Phase II. Across our training programs, participants are progressing from learning to application, with field projects, workshops and mentoring activities strengthening veterinary epidemiology and One Health capacity across the region.

Our Applied Field Epidemiology Training (Frontline) continues to gain momentum. In Timor-Leste, four mentored field research projects are now underway, and in Papua New Guinea, preparations are complete for the research workshop in Port Moresby in October. Tabletop simulation exercises planned for Cambodia and Laos in November will further strengthen outbreak preparedness in these countries.

The Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training has reached an important milestone. All Mid Field Project Progress Sessions are now complete across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Our 38 trainees have concluded their fieldwork and are finalising their reports. With a Manuscript Writing Bootcamp bringing 24 trainees together in Bali next month, we look forward to seeing their fieldwork translated into publications and practical outcomes for their countries.

We have also made strong progress in One Health Training, with the face-to-face modules nearing completion. Teacher and Mentor Training commenced this month with 20 participants from eight countries and will continue through to April 2027 with the support of a new community of practice. In early November, participants will gather at the National University of Singapore for an intensive workshop featuring teaching practice, peer observation and planning for curriculum improvement projects.  

This quarter we marked World Field Epidemiology Day by celebrating the everyday work of our trainees in the field, from poultry market surveillance in Vietnam to anthrax vaccination in West Sulawesi. The story of Isnaniah Bagenda, who has moved from APCOVE trainee to mentor, captures what this program is about: building lasting national capacity that stays in the field.

Our regional profile continues to grow. We were pleased to welcome a nine-member government delegation from Jeonbuk State, Republic of Korea, to our Camden campus on 30 September for a policy exchange on livestock biosecurity, disease surveillance and field veterinary training. You can read more about the visit below.

Thank you to all our trainees, mentors, country partners, coordinators and reviewers for the commitment you bring to this work, and a special thank you to Dea Novita and the APCOVE Indonesia team for organising the Bali bootcamp. I hope you enjoy reading this edition.

Warm regards,
Navneet Dhand
Director, APCOVE

GEDSI is a key focus of APCOVE training activities and guides efforts to ensure equitable representation and participation across programs. 

Kyoko Kusakabe, Professor at Gender and Development Studies at the Asian Institute of Technology, will facilitate GEDSI training at upcoming APCOVE workshops, including Teacher and Mentor Training in November and One Health Training workshops in early 2027. 

Adapted from Equality Institute (2019), this image illustrates the social systems and structures which can combine, overlap and compound to affect an individual’s identity, social position and experience.

Isnaniah Bagenda joined APCOVE’s first Field Epidemiology Training cohort while working as a government veterinarian in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Her brucellosis research led to a presentation at ISVEE 17 in Sydney, and she has since returned to APCOVE as a mentor, supporting a new trainee’s anthrax control project. Here, Isnaniah shares how the training strengthened her work in animal health and helped her pass those skills on to others.

Tell us a bit about yourself

Warm greetings! My name is Isnaniah Bagenda. I participated in the first cohort of APCOVE Field Epidemiology Training and have been selected as a mentor for the second cohort.
I am a government veterinarian and Head of the Animal Health Center Unit in the Department of Plantation, Food Crops, Horticulture and Livestock of Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Together with fellow veterinarians and veterinary paramedics, I deliver animal health services across 16 subdistricts and 167 villages

My role includes overseeing disease control and responses to major contagious animal diseases and zoonotic threats. Our current priorities include rabies, African swine fever (ASF) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

My commitment to applied epidemiology led me to complete the first APCOVE training program. The journey began with self-paced online learning and culminated in a four-week fellowship at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch University. I am grateful that the APCOVE team has since entrusted me with mentoring a participant in the second cohort.

What was the most important thing you learned from the APCOVE Field Epidemiology Training?

Participating in the first APCOVE cohort was a transformative experience. Learning from international epidemiology experts, completing six months of online training and undertaking a six-month field project strengthened my confidence and ability to control animal diseases in the field. The program also helped me combine practical experience with scientific principles and build connections across the Asia-Pacific region.

My field project, “Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Brucellosis Vaccination Program in Beef Cattle in Polewali Mandar Regency”, addressed rising brucellosis cases in the region. I am grateful to the APCOVE team for supporting my oral presentation at the 17th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE 17) in Sydney. I have also presented the findings to the head of the local government to seek approval for implementation. Putting the findings to use in my community was my primary goal.

I am deeply grateful to the APCOVE team for entrusting me with a mentoring role in the second cohort. Working with my mentee, Dr Riska Wahyuni Alwi, a fellow veterinary professional in my operational area, has strengthened our ability to address the animal disease challenges facing our region.

We are delighted that Dr Riska successfully advanced through the field project selection stage. Her chosen theme directly addresses the critical challenges of anthrax control in our region.
Current activities involve finalizing the report draft, with the aim that its findings will support evidence-based anthrax control measures and help maintain the region’s zero-case status.
The spirit of collaboration and strong communication are the key drivers to successfully achieving the ultimate goals of this project

Read more here

A lot of hard work and coordination goes into organising APCOVE training events. Together with her dedicated APCOVE Indonesia colleagues, Dea has worked tirelessly to organise the upcoming Manuscript Writing Bootcamp for intermediate field epidemiology trainees, taking place in Bali in October.

The bootcamp will bring together trainees from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, providing a valuable opportunity for in-person learning, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the region. Thank you Dea and the APCOVE Indonesia team for making this opportunity possible!

Congratulations, APCOVE alum Moh. Mutoyiban

It was wonderful to receive news from Indonesian APCOVE alum Moh. Mutoyib, who has been awarded an Australia Awards Scholarship (AAS) to pursue his master’s degree in Australia.

Mutoyib credits his experience with APCOVE and the Veterinary Field Epidemiology Training as an important inspiration for further developing his knowledge and skills in veterinary epidemiology, infectious disease surveillance and disease control. We are delighted to celebrate this achievement and look forward to following his journey. Look out for a feature article from Moh. Mutoyib in our next APCOVE newsletter.

Congratulations to Theng Heng, APCOVE’s field coordinator in Cambodia, on the birth of his baby boy! The APCOVE team sends warm wishes to Theng and his family as they welcome their newest member