Europe strengthens its epidemic defences

New agency Stockholm-based agency launched to coordinate epidemic preparation and response.

Senior health officials and politicians from around Europe, North America and Asia met in Stockholm earlier this week to attend the launch of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This new EU agency will “network Europe’s health knowledge” so as to enable:
* Better preparation for, and response to, future epidemics;
* More effective continent wide disease surveillance;
* Better cooperation between Europe and its international partners.

The inaugural meeting of the Centre’s management board was held in Stockholm on Tuesday 28th September.

David Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said: "Outbreaks like SARS in 2003 and bird flu this year have been a wake-up call. Infectious diseases can pose a deadly threat and they do not respect national borders. This new EU agency will enable Europe to be better prepared for whatever new epidemics the 21st century has in store. It also has a crucial role to play in helping us contain the alarming resurgence of HIV-AIDS we are beginning to see in Europe and enabling us to better understand a whole range of lethal diseases.“

•Date: 29th September 2004 • Region: W.Europe •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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