Workshops for EPIS VPD and EPIS AMR-HAIArchived

Scope and purpose of the workshops

The Epidemic Intelligence Information System (EPIS) is a tool for public health experts in Member States to exchange, between themselves and with ECDC, non-structured and semi-structured information related to current or emerging public health threats with a potential impact in the EU.

EPIS is complementary to other information systems such as The European Surveillance System (TESSy) and the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS).TESSy is used to maintain surveillance data and EWRS is meant to formally notify verified public health threats of communicable diseases with a potential risk for other member states and is related to risk management.

The objective of EPIS is to exchange disease specific technical information before and during a threat at European level and is functional to risk assessment.

EPIS is a real-time European restricted communication platform through which a closed network of experts can rapidly share information and data.

I. The new EPIS VPD module for measles outbreak monitoring

A. Background

EPIS for vaccine preventable diseases (EPIS VPD) is the 4th EPIS platform initiated by ECDC. Experience with the previous ones (Food and Waterborne Diseases, Legionella, Sexually Transmitted Infections) have been very promising. EPIS for vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) went live on 17 November 2011.

The specific objectives of the dedicated VPD area within EPIS are:

1. To launch, respond to and monitor urgent inquiries as a means of early detection of multinational outbreaks;
2. To facilitate technical discussions on epidemiology or microbiology of diseases relevant to the VPD network and sharing of best practices;
3. To facilitate technical discussions and threat/risk assessments relevant to identified VPD threats;
4. To support the investigation into possible multi-country outbreaks of possible VPD origin;
5. To act as a repository for technical documents and reports of interest to the VPD network that are not necessarily available in the public domain;
6. To share relevant announcements of events and conferences for VPD.

B. Aim of the EPIS VPD workshop

The overall aim of the meeting is to present the new EPIS platform. It is also to discuss and agree criteria for EPIS VPD to be used as a tool to systematically report, monitor and exchange best practices. We would like to focus this workshop in particular on measles and the use of EPIS VPD as an outbreak notification and monitoring tool and discussion on response measures implemented. In light of the ongoing measles elimination plan from the European Region, this disease was first selected with the plan next to expand discussion to other VPDs prone to outbreak.

This workshop with relevant experts will be used to assess how and according to which criteria EPIS VPD could be used specifically as a platform to share information early on related to an unusual number of measles cases in an area or large measles outbreaks occurring in Member States and to facilitate the exchange of best practices and experiences related to response measures among Member States.

The specific objectives of this workshop are to:

• To present EPIS VPD to the users in the Member States, To provide users with the necessary background knowledge and about the possibilities of EPIS;
• To discuss EPIS VPD as the shared measles outbreaks monitoring platform in the EU;
• To agree on criteria to use EPIS VPD as the monitoring platform for the notification of measles outbreaks in the EU, in line with existing guidelines, including elements such as: - An agreement on the disease specific definitions of outbreaks, endemic transmission and importation;- A discussion on the triggers for reporting measles outbreaks through EPIS;- The format of information to be reported and follow-up;- The sharing of experience and response measures being implemented;
• To investigate any future necessary technical developments of EPIS VPD.

C. Expected outcome of the meeting

It is anticipated that this workshop will enable all to agree on the relevance of EPIS VPD to be used as a platform for the reporting and monitoring of measles outbreak in the EU, agree on the type of information to be reported, the nature of outbreaks to be notified and the further usage by ECDC (e.g. European Monthly Measles Monitoring1) and other Member States of data that will be shared through EPIS VPD by countries.

Based on these discussions, ECDC will draft conclusions and terms of reference for EPIS VPD to be used as an outbreak monitoring tool as support to the 2015 elimination plan.

It is expected that the platform will be extended to other VPDs should larger outbreaks occur.

D. Participants

The meeting will be targeted to Member States’ experts who were nominated to work with EPIS.

This meeting is anticipated to call upon expertise from measles disease experts and public health in preparedness and response as well as experts from WHO-EUROPE.

II. The new EPIS module for antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections (EPIS AMR-HAI)

A. Background

EPIS for antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections (EPIS AMR-HAI) is the 5th dedicated area of the already established real-time European restricted communication EPIS platform through which a closed network of experts can rapidly share information and data. EPIS AMR-HAI will go live at the end of February 2012.

The specific objectives of EPIS AMR-HAI are:

• To launch, respond to and monitor urgent inquiries as a means of early detection of national or multinational events related to the fields of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and healthcare-associated infections (HAI) which are of public health relevance on a European level;
• To facilitate threat/risk assessments relevant to identified AMR and HAI threats in EU Member States and EEA/EFTA countries;
• To facilitate technical discussions on epidemiology or microbiology of diseases relevant to the EPIS AMR-HAI network;
• To harmonise investigations of possible multi-country AMR outbreaks and HAI outbreaks in the EU;
• To act as a repository for updated technical documents and reports of interest to the AMR-HAI network.

B. Aim of the EPIS AMR-HAI workshop

The overall aim of the meeting is to introduce the new EPIS AMR-HAI platform and to draw attention to the main advantages of the system in order to enhance as much as possible the future usage of the tool.

The meeting will offer an opportunity to discuss and agree on the triggers for reporting events related to AMR and HAI, and to discuss the usage of the data collected and shared through the EPIS AMR-HAI platform. These steps are intended to ensure an efficient usage of the tool.

1. The specific objectives of the workshop are:To present EPIS AMR-HAI to the users in the Member States;
2. To provide users with the necessary background knowledge to use EPIS AMR-HAI;
3. To discuss and agree on triggers for reporting events through the EPIS AMR-HAI platform;
4. To discuss and agree on the usage of data shared through the EPIS AMR-HAI platform;
5. To investigate any future necessary technical developments of EPIS AMR-HAI.

C. Expected outcome of the meeting

It is anticipated that this workshop will enable all participants to get confidence in the usage of the application and allow them to support and instruct further users within their country if needed. Moreover it is anticipated that the participants will discuss and reach consensus on the nature of the events to be notified and agree on the usage of the data that will be shared through EPIS AMR-HAI.

Based on the discussions, ECDC will draft conclusions and terms of reference for the usage of the EPIS AMR-HAI platform.

D. Participants

The meeting will be targeted to Member States’ experts who were nominated to work with EPIS AMR-HAI.