ECDC hosts inaugural Epidemic Intelligence Network meeting in Rome
On 28 and 29 May 2024, ECDC convened the inaugural meeting of the Epidemic Intelligence Network in Rome, Italy. The meeting was hosted by the Italian National Institute of Health. The aim of the meeting was to define the priorities and activities of the newly created Epidemic Intelligence Network.
The gathering united operational contact points for epidemic intelligence from EU/EEA countries and experts from partner organisations and EU agencies to discuss current and planned activities and epidemic intelligence processes and tools, and to collaboratively prioritise working areas and activities of the Epidemic Intelligence Network.
In plenary sessions, Member States’ representatives engaged in discussions on how they use different methodologies and tools to monitor, track and report on public health events of interest. In addition, the Network’s upcoming priorities in terms of training, tools, monitoring and evaluation as well as new technologies were set. Colleagues from DG SANTE, DG HERA, EFSA, the World Health Organization and Africa CDC also presented their work and planned activities.
Background
In 2024, ECDC established the Epidemic Intelligence Network of Operational Contact Points (OCPs) in EU/EEA countries with the objective of enhancing threat detection and epidemic intelligence activities in EU/EEA Member States.
The key areas of work of the Epidemic Intelligence Network include: exchange of information on ongoing events, sharing and validation of signals; sharing experiences and training; collaboration on the development, innovation and implementation of EI methods (e.g., through communities of practice).
