WHO Surveillance Programme for Control of Foodborne Infections and Intoxications: Preliminary Results and Trends Across Greater Europe

Abstract

Edited transcript of an oral presentation The WHO Food Surveillance Programme for the Control of Foodborne Diseases in Europe was launched 20 years ago as a consequence of the international awareness of the socio-economic impact of the increase of foodborne diseases. The programme is co-ordinated by the BgVVFAO/WHO Collaborating Centre in Berlin. The WHO Food Safety Regional Advisor, Dr Jermini, at the WHO Centre for the Environment and Health in Rome is responsible for the overall management of the programme. Since its establishment in 1980, interest in the programme has grown continuously. The programme started with the participation of only eight countries and currently has 49 participating countries from the 51 members of the WHO European Region, plus Cyprus. It comprises 850 million people in diverse climatic, structural and socio-economic conditions. Some of these countries have newly established economies, and some have been recently declared by the United Nations as being below the poverty level. Ten new countries have joined the programme this year, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Ukraine, Uzbekistan and the whole Balkans region. The programme is particularly interested in inviting all countries in the WHO European region to provide them with support in their efforts to reinforce their surveillance systems. In fact, the main objective of the programme is to provide support for the development of appropriate measures for the prevention and control of foodborne diseases in the region. The programme aims to identify the