CAPI is a Collaborative Academic practice for Public health Infectious diseases. Since January 2023, five Academic Practices for Public Health (in Dutch: Academische Werkplaatsen Publieke Gezondheid or AWPG) started working together to strengthen the scientific knowledge structure for the control of infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness at the Dutch public health service (GGD). This initiative is part of the third pillar of the VIP program.
Methodology
Purpose
The purpose of CAPI is to generate and apply scientific knowledge within the Dutch Public Health Services (GGD). This is necessary ro install better evidence-based practices and to make evidence-based policies. thanks to scientific knowledge, it is possible to make infectious disease prevention and outbreak control more effective in a constantly changing world. This goal was established by the CAPI Steering Committee and developed into an academization plan.
Topics and activities
CAPI enables a structure for 8 doctoral students and 8 annual researchers across the five AWPGs. Within this structure, CAPI provides a continuous educational program focused on enhancing knowledge in scientific thinking and research.
To ensure that research results generated by the public health services (GGD) are shared with the rest of the scientific community, CAPI organizes an annual research symposium. At this gathering, research conducted by, and relevant for, the Public Health Services is presented.
The research, the educational program and the symposium cover 10 topics in the field of infectious diseases.
CAPI is a collaboration between the five Academic Practices for Public Health (AWPGs) in the Netherlands that focus on topics related to infectious diseases. These are:
Visit www.awpg.nl for more information about the AWPGs or visit each AWPGs website.
Steering Committee
CAPI’s Steering Committee is constituted of a program leader and a program coordinator for each AWPG. The team is supported by a management assistant and a communications consultant.
Dr. Janneke Heijne is project leader at AWPG Sarphati Initiatief and head of the Research and Prevention development team of the Infectious Diseases Department of the GGD Amsterdam.
Dr. Hélène Voeten
Program leader
Dr. Hélène Voeten is coordinator for GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond, AWPG CEPHIR and lead for the topic CEPHIR – Infectious Diseases.
She is also working as a senior researcher and involved in research across the range of infectious disease control.
Jonna Wijburg, MSc
Program coordinator
Jonna Wijburg, MSc. works at AWPG CEPHIR as CAPI program coordinator.
She is also part of the research group of GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond.
Elfi Brouwers, MSc
Program coordinator and secretary
Elfi Brouwers, MSc. works at AWPG Mosa within GGD Zuid-Limburg in the position of researcher-epidemiologist as project coordinator.
She is also a PhD candidate working on the topic ‘prevention of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in high-risk groups’.
Tessa van der Bruggen, MSc
Program coordinator
Tessa van der Bruggen, MSc works at AWPG AMPHI-Infectious Diseases as CAPI program coordinator.
She is also part of the Research Steering Committee at GGD Hart voor Brbant.
dr. Diane de Zwart
Program leader
Dr. Diane de Zwart is a senior researcher at AWPG Lumens.
She also works as an infectious disease physician at GGD Hollands Midden.
dr. Anja van der Schoor
Program coordinator
Dr. Anja van der Schoor works at AWPG Lumens as CAPI program coordinator.
She also works as quartermaster of Infectious Disease Control for AWPG Lumens, GGD Haaglanden and GGD Hollands Midden.
Dr. Ellen Generaal
Program coordinator
Dr. Ellen Generaal is secretary at AWPG Sarphati Initiatief and postdoc researcher with the Research and Prevention development team of the Infectious Diseases Department of the GGD Amsterdam.
Dr. Jeannine Hautvast
Program leader
Dr. Jeannine Hautvast, physician Society & Health is coordinator of AWPG AMPHI-Infectious Diseases and works as senior researcher and lecturer at the Department of Primary Care Medicine of the Radboudumc.
She also works at GGD Gelderland-Zuid as a doctor in infectious disease control and travel counseling. She is also a supervisor of medical students in the 2nd phase of the course physician Society & Health.
Prof.dr. Christian J.P.A. Hoebe
Program leader and chairman
Physician Epidemiologist Society & Health Infectious Disease Control is head of department of AWPG Mosa within GGD Zuid-Limburg and is chairman and professor of the Department of Social Medicine at Maastricht University.
He is also a staff member at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention at Maastricht UMC+ and the Chlamydia trachomatis reference laboratory.
