European Collaboration in Infectious Diseases Surveillance: Where to Go?

Abstract

Since the Maastricht Treaty was signed, public health and disease prevention have become an official competence of the European Community (EC) (1). This political event is important because it recognizes the European dimension of public health and opens new perspectives for prevention in Europe. It also gives a political and official foundation to a European approach towards disease prevention and control which can be applied to infectious diseases. With the free circulation of foods, goods and persons in Europe the potential for disease transmission in Europe will increase (2). In addition new threats are emerging (prions) and old diseases are reemerging (tuberculosis, dphtheria . . .). In this context the strengthening of infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance at a European level is needed more than ever. This paper will review and discuss some of the current European collaborations in infectious disease epidemiology. Traditionally, global infectious diseases surveillance in the European region has been coordinated by the W H O office in Copenhagen. Collaboration of National Centers designated “WHO collaborating Centers” have contributed to strengthen the W H O regional office approach (e.g. The WHO Collaborating Center on Food-Borne Diseases in Berlin, the W H O Collaborating Center for Health and Disease Surveillance in Rome . . .). Through meetings of National Institutions responsible for infectious diseases surveillance and control, the W H O regional Office also contributed to a European approach towards topics such as immunization, food-borne and sexually transmitted diseases. However, this approach was passive and, until recently, no real European public health initiatives in infectious diseases have been based on a European-wide infectious diseases surveillance.