Protecting health in Europe the new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

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Protecting health in Europe the new European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

• Karl Ekdahl
• Detached National Expert

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Pre-ECDC capacity

• EU-funded surveillance networks since 1999
  (2119/98/EC)
• Well functioning within their remits, but
• uncoordinated
• do not cover all diseases under 2119/98
• funding not sustainable
• Weak response capacity
• SARS, anthrax threats, pandemic flu
• 10 new member states

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ECDC milestones (I)

• July 2003 Commissions proposal to establish the
  Centre
• December 2003 Council decision that Sweden will
  host the Centre
• April 2004 Regulation 851 establishing the
  Centre
• September 2004 1st meeting of Management Board
  with international launch
• December 2004 Director Zsuzsanna Jakab nominated
• March 2005 Director takes office (start-up
  phase)
• May 2005 Centre operational

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ECDC milestones (II)

• 2005-2006 Building up the centre
• Staff
• Networking
• Operations
• 2007 Evaluation of the possible need to extend
  the scope of the Centres mission

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ECDC Staffing and budget

• 2005 29 staff 5 M
• 2006 50 staff 16 M
• Proposal
• 2007 70 staff 41 M
• 2008 120 staff 80 M
• 2009 170 staff 80 M
• 2010 220 staff 90 M
• 2011 270 staff 90 M
• 2012-13 300 staff 90 M

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Organisation
Director
Unit for Surveillance Communication
Management Administration
Unit for Preparedness Response
Unit for Scientific Advice
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Unit for Scientific Advice (I)

• Provide sound and independent technical and
  scientific advice
• Well acquainted with the front-line of research
  in all areas of CD control
• Actively participate in all key scientific
  conferences and meetings
• Network of experts and scientists in Europe
• Inventory of resources
• Build on the scientific competence and experience
  within the NSI and DSNs

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Unit for Scientific Advice (II)

• Set up independent advisory panels and initiate
  studies
• Cover all categories of CDs listed in Decision
  2119/98/EC and develop guidelines and other tools
• Be strong on new and emerging health threats
  including antimicrobial resistance
• Support member states in national endeavours

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ECDC with no laboratories

• Build on what already exists in Member States to
  avoid duplication
• Support MS response capacity by always knowing
  where appropriate lab. capacity is located
• Ensuring microbiological expertise through
  secondments and short-term positions
• Build up a system of reference labs

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Unit for Surveillance and Communication (I)

• Gradually coordinate/integrate surveillance
  networks into ECDC
• Incorporate technical aspects of surveillance
  components of DSN into the Centre
• Promote an increase in coverage and effectiveness
  of the surveillance networks as well as quality
  control
• Technical assistance to MS on surveillance issues

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Unit for Surveillance and Communication (II)

• Avoid all duplicate reporting
• Data standardisation and comparability
• Denominators
• Harmonisation of laboratory methods
• Further integration of sub-typing data
• Surveillance ? public health action
• Surveillance ?? Research
• Alternative surveillance systems

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Unit for Surveillance and Communication (III)

• Public and privileged web pages
• Surveillance reports
• Weekly (electronic) epidemiological report
• Annual epidemiological report
• Articles in scientific journals
• Risk communication strategy for target groups

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Road map for future surveillance

• 2005
• Agreements on data access
• Consultation process
• Technical systems for storing/accessing data
• Strategy document (several steps)
• 2006
• Build close links to the BSN
• Detailed evaluation of networks (SURVEVAL)
• 2007/2008 (as present network contracts ends)
• Full coordination of all surveillance activities

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Scope of ECDC from 2010

• First rock solid in CDs priority 1
• Review starts in May 2007
• Co-decision of Council and EP needed to extend
  scope
• Even if this happens not be before 2010
• 5 years only for CDs
• If extended gradual process starting with
• Health monitoring, analysis and reporting
• Additional resources needed

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Success builds on good partnerships

• Member states and European Commission
• National surveillance institutes and reference
  laboratories
• Scientific community
• Other EU agencies
• EFSA, EMEA, EEA
• Countries outside the EU and international
  organizations
• Neighbouring countries, CDC, WHO

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Key message

• ECDC could only be strong if built on strong
  European networks and ideas
• ECDC will provide needed services and give a
  clear added value to the European CD control
• ECDC will channel the best available resources
  (own and others) to where they will be best needed

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EuroTB and the ECDC (A. Infuso)

• First contacts in April
• Need of our work to show results
• Consultation process in June 05
• Evaluation in 2006
• Integration after 2007
• Communication
• Public data sets and outputs
• Answer to requests within time availability

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Uncertainties (A. Infuso)

• EU Bureaucracy
• Insufficient future funding
• Basic surveillance network
• Location to be defined (decentralised or SWE)