Study visit to Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

A study visit provides an invaluable opportunity to immerse in a new environment and offers direct exposure to different practices, methodologies, and cultural aspects. This hands-on experience encourages the absorption of knowledge in a way that traditional classroom settings cannot replicate. Participants of a study visit gain a broader perspective on their field of expertise, uncovering diverse approaches and solutions that can be adapted to their own professional contexts. Such visits not only broaden one's understanding but also foster professional collaboration and networking. 

In evening of 3 March 2024, a team of 8 epidemiologists, microbiologists and IT specialists from IPHS “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut” arrived in Helsinki (Finland) on a one-week study visit organized by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The study visit was organized as part of EU-funded Twinning Project “Strengthening the capacity of Serbia’s health sector for communicable disease surveillance”.

The programme of the study visit was carefully built to respond to the expectations and demands of the project’s beneficiary in the communicable disease surveillance. The programme consisted of two sub-programmes, where the visiting epidemiologists and IT specialists had their own programme of lectures and discussions, while the microbiologists worked closely with their THL colleagues in the bacteriological laboratory premises.

During the study visit the participants gained insights into the Finnish national infectious disease surveillance system and the national infectious disease register and THL’s laboratory information system, focusing on data integration and electronic data collection tools and methods. The THL presentations included in-depth information about daily workflows at the THL, collaboration between epidemiologists and microbiologists, and interaction with various health professionals and IT experts. The participants also visited regional diagnostic laboratory and epidemiology units, attended a regular THL – Food Safety Authority meeting, and examined case studies on outbreak investigations and surveillance system assessments.

The microbiology part of the programme targeted hands-on experiences of whole genome sequencing (WGS). Together with their THL colleagues, the Batut microbiologists went through all stages of the WGS procedure, which took them a few days. The THL’s sample management system was also presented. The participants learnt how THL uses bioinformatics in infectious disease surveillance and epidemic research.

According to the participants of the study visit, aside from the learning purpose, the study visit enabled comparisons and discussions about what advances well in Serbia and what gaps and questions should be prioritized. It also allowed for an examination of what practices can be adapted, what mechanisms and controls can be introduced, and what processes can be initiated to ensure that the national surveillance of communicable diseases functions seamlessly and serves the broader goal of enhancing public health security.