Prof. Dirk Pfeiffer (Chair Professor of One Health at the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences) was one of the lead trainers in a two-day training programme for a group of veterinary epidemiologists who serve in the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This veterinary epidemiology training was part of the China Field Epidemiology Training Program for Veterinarians (CFETPV), a programme jointly organised by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and took place in Xi’an on 2 and 3 August 2018.

Themed “One Belt & One Road” and Animal Disease Prevention and Control, the training aimed to enhance senior government officials’ understanding of the application of veterinary epidemiology in disease control strategy planning and implementation by introducing relevant approaches together with practical examples.

The group of CFETPV trainees consisted of 51 participants from 31 provinces, 4 cities, and 5 national institutes. The opening was also attended by Dr Chen Guanghua, Deputy Director-General, Veterinary Bureau, MARA, and other senior representatives from MARA and FAO. Through sharing his knowledge, expertise and experience, Professor Pfeiffer contributed to the capacity building in veterinary epidemiology in the government service in China.