Cellule de l'Institut de Veille Sanitaire en région Rhône-Alpes

Contact person:

Christine Saura

Tel. +33 4 72 34 41 15

Fax. +33 4 78 60 88 67

Description of the institute

Interregional Epidemiology Units (Cire) are the regional offices of the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (Institut de veille sanitaire, InVS). InVS, a governmental institution reporting to the Ministry of Health, is responsible for surveillance and alert in all domains of public health. InVS is responsible for the continuous monitoring of the population’s health status, health surveillance and alert.

The Cire work on behalf and under the scientific authority of InVS. Located in administrative regions, they provide methodological expertise to health authorities mainly in the fields of communicable disease and environmental health, at the regional and district level and coordinate regional health surveillance. There are 17 Cires, 15 in metropolitan France and two overseas.

Training site

The Rhône-Alpes Interregional Epidemiology Unit (Cire Rhône-Alpes), covers the administrative region Rhône-Alpes, in south-east of France. Rhône-Alpes is the second most important administrative region of France (over 6 million people). The unit is located in Lyon (the second urban unit of France) within the regional health office (Direction régionale des affaires sanitaires et sociales, Drass).

The Cire Rhône-Alpes has a staff of 6, including 5 epidemiologists.

The fellow will be fully integrated in the team and will have access to all information and databases of the unit. All necessary support including computer equipment, communication and library facilities (both, electronic and printed media) are available.

If necessary, the support of the scientific and technical staff of the InVS [200] professionals including statistical support is easily available.

Training opportunities

The training site offers many opportunities in the field of epidemiology applied to infectious diseases control and prevention in Rhône-Alpes:

• provision of methodological assistance to eight infra-regional district’ s health authorities in investigation and control of infectious disease or occurrence of unexpected health events;
• coordination of national surveillance systems at the regional level (non specific surveillance system, heat-related illnesses surveillance, notifiable diseases) and specific regional systems, including analysis of mortality, morbidity and environmental data, interpretation and diffusion of information;
• development of epidemiological studies at local or regional level
• organisation and contribution to training sessions in the epidemic intelligence field.
• Risk assessment or collaboration to a project in environmental health is also possible.

Training supervision

General supervision is provided by Bruno Morel, medical doctor, specialized in public health and epidemiology. Supervision of specific projects will be provided by senior epidemiologists in the unit.

Language requirements

French and English.

Training history

Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: None. New site 2009.

Number of Profet (French FETP program) fellows trained at institute: Four

Number of EPIET alumni working at institute: none