European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
ECDC logo.svg
ECDC-2018.jpg
ECDC headquarters in Solna, Sweden
Centre overview
Formed28 September 2004 (2004-09-28)
Jurisdiction European Union
Headquarters Solna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden
59°22′22″N18°1′2″E / 59.37278°N 18.01722°E / 59.37278; 18.01722
Annual budget€57 million EUR (2020) [1]
Centre executive
Key document
Website ecdc.europa.eu

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is an agency of the European Union (EU) whose mission is to strengthen Europe's defences against infectious diseases. [2] It covers a wide spectrum of activities, such as: surveillance, epidemic intelligence, response, scientific advice, microbiology, preparedness, public health training, international relations, health communication, and the scientific journal Eurosurveillance . [3] The centre was established in 2004 and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

Contents

The ECDC was established by Regulation (EC) No 851/2004, [4] deriving its legal basis from Articles 251(2) [5] and 152(4) TEC, [6] which together allow the European Commission to submit proposals for regulations seeking to achieve the EU's objectives of ensuring public health.

History and operations

Former seat of ECDC, the Tomteboda School, Solna ECDC Tomtebodaskolan 2005-09-02.jpg
Former seat of ECDC, the Tomteboda School, Solna

As EU economic integration and open frontiers increased, cooperation on public health issues became more important. While the idea of creating a European centre for disease control had been discussed previously by public health experts, the 2003 SARS outbreak and the rapid spread of SARS across country borders confirmed the urgency of the creation of an EU-wide institution for public health. ECDC was set up in record time for an EU agency: the European Commission presented draft legislation in July 2003; by the spring of 2004, Regulation (EC) 851/2004 had been passed, and in May 2005 the centre became operational.

The European Parliament appointed UK Conservative John Bowis as rapporteur for the regulation, [7] thus making him responsible for drafting of the report, its presentation to Parliament, and navigating it through the legislative process.

The relevance of the centre's mission was confirmed shortly after it began operating, when the arrival of H5N1 avian influenza in the EU's neighbourhood led to fears that the disease could adapt or mutate into a pandemic strain of human influenza.[ citation needed ] The centre moved to its current location at Gustav III:s Boulevard in Solna, Sweden, on 3 March 2018.

The ECDC manages key initiatives that focus on surveillance and response support, and public health capacity and communication,[ citation needed ] while the office of the chief scientist oversees the Microbiology Coordination Section and the Scientific Advice Coordination Section, along with seven Disease Programmes.[ citation needed ]

The Disease Programmes focus on specific disease groups:[ citation needed ]

Interaction with EU institutions

EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union) have a direct relationship in the functioning of the ECDC by providing oversight and funding and receiving strategic guidance from the agency.

The ECDC is responsible for providing strategic guidance and ensuring that the EU's activities align with broader EU health policies and objectives. This involves setting priorities, outlining long-term goals, and integrating the ECDC's work into the EU's overall public health strategy. [8] EU institutions also ensure financial oversight by allocating the ECDC's annual budget, monitoring expenditures, and ensuring that resources are used effectively and transparently. [9] Through its Health Security Committee, the Commission collaborates especially closely with the ECDC to respond to health emergencies, share information, and implement joint actions across member states. [10]

Collaboration with other EU agencies

Source: [10]

European Medicines Agency (EMA): The ECDC collaborates with EMA on monitoring vaccine safety, pharmacovigilance, and managing public health emergencies.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Joint efforts focus on controlling animal diseases and foodborne pathogens.

Joint Research Centre (JRC): Cooperation involves research and data sharing on emerging health threats.

European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA): To collaborate on prevention efforts regarding the spread of drug-related infectious diseases across the EU.

Publications

ECDC publishes numerous scientific and technical reports covering various issues related to the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Comprehensive reports from key technical and scientific meetings are also produced by the organization.[ citation needed ]

Towards the end of every calendar year, ECDC publishes its Annual Epidemiological Report, which analyses surveillance data and infectious disease threats. As well as offering an overview of the public health situation in the European Union, the report offers an indication of where further public health action may be required in order to reduce the burden caused by communicable diseases.[ citation needed ]

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is monitoring the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. [11]

Other ECDC publications include disease-specific surveillance reports and threat reports, as well as analyses of trends in European public health.[ citation needed ]

Eurosurveillance

Eurosurveillance , a European peer-reviewed journal devoted to the epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of infectious diseases, has been published by ECDC since March 2007. The journal was founded in 1995 and, before its move to ECDC, was a collaborative project between the European Commission, the Institut de Veille Sanitaire (France) and the Health Protection Agency (United Kingdom). Eurosurveillance is an open-access (i.e. free) web-based journal that reports infectious disease issues from a European perspective. It publishes results from ECDC and the EU-funded surveillance networks, thereby providing the scientific community with timely access to new information. The journal is published every Thursday.[ citation needed ]

Member states

In addition to the member states of the union, three members of the European Economic Area also participate in the ECDC network: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway. [12]

The United Kingdom benefited from the ECDC during the Brexit transition period from February 1 to December 31, 2020.[ citation needed ]

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, involved in the European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic the ECDC published data related to COVID-19 such as number of people affected in the European Union.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) for communicable diseases in the European Union was created by the European Commission to "ensure a rapid and effective response by the EU to events related to communicable diseases."

"EWRS is a web-based system linking the Commission, the public health authorities in Member States responsible for measures to control communicable diseases and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). EEA countries are also linked to the system."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disease surveillance</span> Monitoring spread of disease to establish patterns of progression

Disease surveillance is an epidemiological practice by which the spread of disease is monitored in order to establish patterns of progression. The main role of disease surveillance is to predict, observe, and minimize the harm caused by outbreak, epidemic, and pandemic situations, as well as increase knowledge about which factors contribute to such circumstances. A key part of modern disease surveillance is the practice of disease case reporting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwegian Institute of Public Health</span> Norwegian research institute

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is a Norwegian government agency and research institute, and is Norway's national public health institute. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Health and Care Services. NIPH acts as a national competence institution in public health in a broad sense for governmental authorities, the health service, the judiciary, prosecuting authorities, politicians, the media and the general public, international organisations and foreign governments. The institute has around 1400 employees.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) was a non-departmental public body in England. It was set up by the UK government in 2003 to protect the public from threats to their health from infectious diseases and environmental hazards.

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks. In the case of livestock diseases, there may also be the legal requirement to kill the infected livestock upon notification. Many governments have enacted regulations for reporting of both human and animal diseases.

The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) Fellowship provides training and practical experience in intervention epidemiology at the national centres for surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the European Union. The fellowship is aimed at EU medical practitioners, public-health nurses, microbiologists, veterinarians and other health professionals with previous experience in public health and a keen interest in epidemiology.

The Health Threat Unit of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection, is responsible for terrorism surveillance and early warning of biological, chemical, and radiological threats within the European Union. The Health Threat Unit runs the Rapid Alert System, which conducts surveillance on communicable diseases and diseases caused by acts of bioterrorism. The surveillance data are coordinated and evaluated by the Health Emergency Operations Facility. Health threat information and warnings are sent to the member states by the Communication and Crisis Center (BICHAT) and the Security Office in Brussels, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Field epidemiology</span>

Field Epidemiology is the application of epidemiologic methods to unexpected health problems when a rapid on-site investigation is necessary for timely intervention. A more expansive definition is: The practice of Epidemiology in the field. Work is done in communities often as a public health service and as part of government or a closely allied institution. Field epidemiology is how epidemics and outbreaks are investigated, and is used to implement measures to protect and improve the health of the public. Field epidemiologists must deal with unexpected, sometimes urgent problems that demand immediate solution. Its methods are designed to answer specific epidemiologic questions in order to plan, implement, and/or evaluate public health interventions. These studies consider the needs of those who will use the results. The task of a field epidemiologist is not complete until the results of a study have been clearly communicated in a timely manner to those who need to know, and an intervention made to improve the health of the people.

Eurosurveillance is an open-access medical journal covering epidemiology, surveillance, prevention, and control of communicable diseases with a focus on topics relevant for Europe. The journal is a non-profit publication and is published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre for Health Protection</span> Hong Kong public health agency

The Centre for Health Protection is an agency under the Department of Health in Hong Kong responsible for disease prevention and control. CHP plays the same role and function as the Centers for Disease Control in the United States, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in the European Union (EU).

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was created in 2001 and is under the Health Bureau of Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Koch Institute</span> German government agency responsible for disease control and prevention

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The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, until 2014 known as the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, is a directorate-general of the European Commission. The DG is responsible for the monitoring and implementation of European Union policies and laws on health and food safety. It is headed by European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides and Director-General Sandra Gallina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Centre for Disease Control</span> Indian medical health government agency

The National Centre for Disease Control is an institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was established in July 1963 for research in epidemiology and control of communicable diseases and to reorganize the activities of the Malaria Institute of India. It has nine branches at Alwar, Bengaluru, Trivandrum, Calicut, Coonoor, Jagdalpur, Patna, Rajahmundry and Varanasi to advise the respective state governments on public health. The headquarters are in Sham Nath Marg, in New Delhi.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is part of Ireland's Health Service Executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic and its spread in Europe has had significant effects on some major EU members countries and on European Union institutions, especially in the areas of finance, civil liberties, and relations between member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Ammon</span> German physician

Andrea Ammon is a German physician and the former director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), a European Union (EU) agency strengthening Europe's defence against infectious disease. She advised the German government on the SARS and Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 outbreaks.

Sergio Brusin an Italian epidemiologist and public health advisor. Brusin is the former Principal Expert Response and Emergency Operations at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Brusin developed the ECDC infectious disease risk assessment methodology that is used by ECDC and other public health institutions in assessing the risk posed by communicable disease events. In early March 2020, Brusin urged the UK government to take action and urgently implement lockdown measures referring to Italy as the catastrophic example to avoid. He also advocated for far fewer travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic recommending to concentrate the response efforts to stricter domestic control measures strongly enforced. As of 2024, Brusin is the Head of the MedCOI Sector at the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA)—formerly known as the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). He is one of the contributors to the Strengthening Data Sharing for Public Health project by Chatham House. The initiative aims to enhance public health by facilitating the sharing of surveillance data, promoting regional collaborations, capacity building, and improving risk management while addressing technical, ethical, and legal concerns.

West Nile Fever (WNF) is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by the West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. The virus primarily incubates in a bird-mosquito transmission cycle, with humans and other mammals serving as incidental hosts.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "ECDC financial documents". www.ecdc.europa.eu. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. ↑ "ECDC mission statement". www.ecdc.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 2009-11-04.
  3. ↑ "About ECDC". European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  4. ↑ Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 april 2004 establishing a European Centre for disease prevention and control, 2004-04-21, retrieved 2024-05-16
  5. ↑ "EUR-Lex - 12008E294 - EN". Official Journal 115 , 09/05/2008 P. 0173 - 0175. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  6. ↑ "EUR-Lex - 12002E152 - EN". Official Journal C 325 , 24/12/2002 P. 0100 - 0101; Official Journal C 340 , 10/11/1997 P. 0246 - Consolidated version; Official Journal C 224 , 31/08/1992 P. 0048 - Consolidated version; (EEC Treaty - no official publication available). Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  7. ↑ BOWIS, John. "Report on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy | A5-0038/2004 | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  8. ↑ "ECDC's work plan 2019-2021: Guarding European public health". www.ecdc.europa.eu. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  9. ↑ "Key documents". www.ecdc.europa.eu. 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  10. 1 2 "EU institutions and agencies". www.ecdc.europa.eu. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  11. ↑ "Rapid Risk Assessment: Severe respiratory disease associated with a novel coronavirus" (PDF). European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 2013-02-19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  12. ↑ "Competent Bodies". European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Retrieved 2022-04-13.

Sources

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