A Call for an Inclusive Path Forward: Developing a Roadmap for Diversity and Equity for Field Epidemiologists

Originating in 1951 in the United States with a cohort of male physicians, field epidemiology training programs (FETPs) now support workforce development in more than 200 countries and territories, with graduates of diverse genders and professional backgrounds. In 2018 a group of leading field epidemiologists identified avenues to modernize the field, published in The Path Forward: The Global Field Epidemiology Roadmap. The roadmap lacked intersection with contemporary concerns, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Mirroring global health workforce trends that see women overrepresented at the frontline and underrepresented across leadership, a review of the processes to develop The Path Forward highlights inequities across field epidemiology leadership. With the nascent Global Field Epidemiology Partnership publishing a strategic plan acknowledging DEI, we provide recommendations to understand the modern population of field epidemiologists, create space for untraditional voices, and diversify leadership.