"Training in applied epidemiology and public health surveillance" is one of the five strategies of Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN). It aims to develop a regional pool of experts in public health surveillance and response for the Pacific Islands. In 1996, the idea of a modular training programme with field-based components, involving universities, health development agencies and professional associations came up. This programme should be accredited by a training institution. From 1998 to 2001, SPC made a first move in that direction and ran two different series of subregional training sessions in surveillance, outbreak investigation and the use of Epi Info 6 software for surveillance activities. The overall objective of these training sessions was to build a critical mass of health professionals who share a common set of tools and methods for public health surveillance. SPC can also provide attachment and hands-on field training opportunities for trainees in public health practice. A memorandum of understanding was signed between SPC and FSM in 1999. The article suggests the areas of future FSM/SPC collaboration in public health surveillance: the accreditation of SPC courses by FSM; the addition of a microbiology component; the identification of opportunities for field training; and the evaluation and harmonisation of the training programme(s).