Scientific advice

ECDC is committed to enhancing the consistency of its scientific advice outputs and aims to improve its analytical methods and processes as part of an overarching scientific strategy.

ECDC uses structured mechanisms to engage relevant stakeholders and make the decision-making process as transparent as possible. The Centre works closely with its established public health and disease networks to identify priority areas, exchange expertise, and share information. At the EU level, ECDC develops robust relationships with EU institutions and EU agencies responsible for risk assessment (e.g. through the EU-ANSA network of scientific advice in EU agencies, chaired in 2020 by the ECDC Chief Scientist).

This approach expands beyond the borders of the European Union and includes international partners as well as research bodies working in the areas of infectious diseases. To fulfil its core functions, ECDC needs to follow new developments in research and methodology on a global scale to ensure its work stays relevant and scientifically sound.

Due to the pandemic, the annual ESCAIDE Conference was held online, on 24-27 November. Plenary sessions discussed the challenges of pandemic preparedness planning and response in times of COVID-19 and the role of behaviour change and new technologies in tackling antimicrobial resistance. The conference concluded with a debate on the future of field epidemiology training programmes, while reflecting on how those have helped to prepare a generation of the public health workforce active today.

The Eurosurveillance journal remained an attractive outlet for public health experts and scientists, as reflected by the number and quality of submissions. In 2020, the total number of submissions reached an all-time high. The majority of articles published were related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but other topics such as the occurrence of human West-Nile virus cases in Germany and the Netherlands, relevant world health days (WTBD, EEAD, WAD etc) and events (ECDC 15 anniversary) were also covered.