ECDC organises epidemic intelligence and rapid risk assessment training in Armenia
From 5 – 8 December, ECDC organised a 4-day basic training in Epidemic Intelligence and Rapid Risk Assessment in Yerevan, Armenia.
The training course brought together 19 health professionals from the Armenian National Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It was designed specifically for a group of Armenian public health professionals who are responsible for improving response measures to infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The overall aim of the training was to engage in a dialogue on how to strengthen epidemic intelligence and rapid risk assessment procedures in order to further optimise Armenia’s public health preparedness and response capacities.
The training included presentations and practical exercises in plenary and in small groups. The first three days were focused on epidemic intelligence, while the fourth day was dedicated to rapid risk assessment methodology. Experts from ECDC, WHO, Robert Koch Institut and local MediPIET representatives were invited to facilitate this training.
EI and RRA capacity building
Early detection and communication of health threats play an important role when countries are faced with infectious disease outbreaks.
The objective is to detect, verify, analyse, assess and investigate public health events that may represent a threat to public health. Epidemic intelligence encompasses activities related to early waring functions, integrating event and indicator-based surveillance and also signal assessment and outbreak investigation. The aim of EI analysis is to ensure a timely response, based on an adequate risk assessment with recommendations on appropriate public health measures.
Under the EU Initiative on Health Security (EU-IHS), ECDC supports capacity building in the EU`s Neighbourhood regions. EU-IHS also aims to set up a workforce responsible for the prevention and control of the challenges posed by communicable diseases and to enhance regional cooperation to tackle cross-border health security threats in EU candidate and potential candidate countries and European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries.
