ECDC Director to ENVI Committee: “key threats that EU faces in infectious diseases are long term challenges”Archived
ECDC Director Marc Sprenger had his annual exchange of views with Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Speaking to the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), ECDC’s Director Marc Sprenger said that the key infectious diseases threats that European Union (EU) faces are long term challenges as well as short dramatic crisis. “The threat from infectious diseases is always there, even when it is not getting media attention”, he stressed.
Using the example of measles, ECDC Director noted that there are still outbreaks of this preventable disease, although the number of cases in EU has been decreasing. “The EU goal is zero cases”, he told the Committee. For the elimination of measles, ECDC has put particular emphasis in 2012 on underserved populations and health inequalities.
Future strategic priorities will include enhancing EU cooperation in public health microbiology to improve detection and tracking human pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, influenza and pandemic preparedness will also continue to be top priorities in ECDC’s work.
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