The Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) held its programme directors' meeting in Lyon, France, from 21 to 23 September 2011 in collaboration with the IHR Coordination Department. Its mission is to support the development of a global network of field epidemiology training programmes across the globe.

The focus of the meeting was on field programme accreditation and on reinforcement of collaboration between the network and the World Health Organization. It followed the expert meeting on field programmes accreditation that was held at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm, Sweden, on 7–9 July 2011. The main outputs were the adoption of the field programmes accreditation principle, and the decision to implement a pilot phase managed by the network, which will be evaluated. The results of the evaluation will be presented during the network's upcoming global conference in 2012.