One of the key ECDC targets included in the multiannual work programme is that ‘by 2013, ECDC’s reputation for scientific excellence and leadership will be firmly established among its partners in public health, and ECDC will be a major resource for scientific information and advice on infectious diseases for the Commission, the Parliament, the Member States and their citizens’. Scientific Advice Unit (SAU) work focuses on achieving this goal.
Five strategies are implemented to realize this target. In addition, four disease specific programmes are hosted in SAU. Strategies include:
- Being a public health research catalyst
- Promoting, initiating and coordinating scientific studies
- Produce guidance, risk assessments, scientific advice
- Prime repository for scientific advice on infectious diseases
- Microbiological laboratory support
Being a public health research catalyst
This involves improving public health research in the EU, by identifying gaps in scientific knowledge and by liaison work with EU funders to steer research calls, and evaluate proposals. It also involves building links between scientists by developing and maintaining an interactive directory of experts and running scientific symposia. An example of such work is the annual European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE). The next one is planned to be held in Stockholm in the Autumn of 2009.
Promoting, initiating and coordinating scientific studies
These studies include, among others, the European Environment and Epidemiology (E3 Nework) and the Present and Future Burden of Communicable Disease in Europe (BCoDE) projects. Climate change is expected to have severe impacts upon health, not least through altered patterns of infectious disease spread: vector expansion due to warmer temperatures increases the risks from diseases such as Chikungunya, Dengue and Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE). ECDC is in the process of developing the European Environment and Epidemiology (E3) Network. This network would have the capability to connect epidemic intelligence and infectious disease surveillance (such as Tessy and TTT, both currently housed at ECDC) with meteorological variables, water quality records, air quality measures, remote sensing information, geology, etc. Linking this data will enable coordination between public health and environmental agencies. Identifying long-term trends will build the evidence base for informing strategic public health action.
Ensuring comprehensive knowledge of the existing and future burden of infectious diseases in the EU is a challenge ECDC will be addressing over the coming years in order to provide baseline figures for planning and prioritizing both EU and national efforts. Building on an earlier pilot study, ECDC’s preparation for the BCoDE (Present and Future Burden of Communicable Disease in Europe) project is aimed at developing a methodology, measure and report on the current and future burden of communicable diseases in EU and EEA/ EFTA countries. It will look at as many of the 49 infectious diseases listed in the Decision 2119/98 as is feasible and possibly other conditions and health issues.
Produce guidance, risk assessments, scientific advice
One of the main activities of SAU is the development of public health guidance and risk assessment on infectious disease prevention and control, e.g. guidance on human papilloma vaccination, rapid risk assesment on a new strain of seasonal H1N1 influenza resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), or scientific opinion on the use of influenza H5N1 vaccines for humans. Read the full list and detailed guidance
Prime repository for scientific advice on infectious diseases
One SAU section provides internal services to ECDC by operating the Library and by building and operating Knowledge and Information Services. The components are the Content Service, the Terminology Service, Public Health Directories & Maps, and Knowledge Navigation. Some services are targeted also for external use by the public health research community in the future.
Microbiological laboratory support
A key task of ECDC is to strengthen the microbiological laboratory support for infectious diseases prevention and control in EU. This is being done in collaboration with an EU ‘lab forum’ (National Microbiological Focal Points, NMFPs). SAU is currently working with the NMFPs on mapping the structure and functioning of public health microbiology in all Member States. Read more