scholarly journals The European Medical Corps: first Public Health Team mission and future perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (37) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana M Haussig ◽  
Ettore Severi ◽  
Jonathan HJ Baum ◽  
Veerle Vanlerberghe ◽  
Amparo Laiseca ◽  
...  

The 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa challenged traditional international mechanisms for public health team mobilisation to control outbreaks. Consequently, in February 2016, the European Union (EU) launched the European Medical Corps (EMC), a mechanism developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to rapidly deploy teams and equipment in response to public health emergencies inside and outside the EU. Public Health Teams (PHTs), a component of the EMC, consist of experts in communicable disease prevention and control from participating countries and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), to support affected countries and WHO in risk assessment and outbreak response. The European Commission’s Directorate-General European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and Directorate-General Health and Food Safety, and ECDC, plan and support deployments. The first EMC-PHT deployment took place in May 2016, with a team sent to Angola for a yellow fever outbreak. The aims were to evaluate transmission risks to local populations and EU citizens in Angola, the risk of regional spread and importation into the EU, and to advise Angolan and EU authorities on control measures. International actors should gain awareness of the EMC, its response capacities and the means for requesting assistance.

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Colzani ◽  
G Fraser ◽  
A Economopoulou ◽  
F Hruba ◽  
BA Suski ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  

The importance of communicable disease control and health security, and in particular the establishment of a European centre for disease prevention and control, were stressed this week in a high level meeting between European Commissioners and the World Health Organization (WHO).


2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Hollo ◽  
A Amato-Gauci ◽  
C Ködmön ◽  
D Manissero

Since 1 January 2008, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) jointly coordinate the tuberculosis (TB) surveillance activities in Europe. The data collected provides an opportunity for a comprehensive analysis of the TB situation. We aimed at analysing the EU and EEA/EFTA data to identify general TB trends and to provoke some discussion regarding the challenges and needs for monitoring the epidemic.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (S2) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Polly J. Price

These teaching materials explore the specific powers of governments to implement control measures in response to communicable disease, in two different contexts:The first context concerns global pandemic diseases. Relevant legal authority includes international law, World Health Organization governance and the International Health Regulations, and regulatory authority of nations.The second context is centered on U.S. law and concerns control measures for drug-resistant disease, using tuberculosis as an example. In both contexts, international and domestic, the point is to understand legal authority to address public health emergencies.


Complexity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Yi-Cheng Zhang ◽  
Zhi Li ◽  
Guo-Bing Zhou ◽  
Nai-Ru Xu ◽  
Jia-Bao Liu

After the occurrence of public health emergencies, due to the uncertainty of the evolution of events and the asymmetry of pandemic information, the public’s risk perception will fluctuate dramatically. Excessive risk perception often causes the public to overreact to emergencies, resulting in irrational behaviors, which have a negative impact on economic development and social order. However, low-risk perception will reduce individual awareness of prevention and control, which is not conducive to the implementation of government pandemic prevention and control measures. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately evaluate public risk perception for improving government risk management. This paper took the evolution of public risk perception based on the COVID-19 region as the research object. First, we analyze the characteristics of infectious diseases in the evolution of public risk perception of public health emergencies. Second, we analyze the characteristics of risk perception transmission in social networks. Third, we establish the dynamic model of public risk perception evolution based on SEIR, and the evolution mechanism of the public risk perception network is revealed through simulation experiments. Finally, we provide policy suggestions for government departments to deal with public health emergencies based on the conclusions of this study.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Leena Lohiniva ◽  
Iman Heweidy ◽  
Samiha Abdu ◽  
Abouelata Omar ◽  
Caroline Ackley ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly pervasive due to multiple, complex prescribing and consuming behaviours. Accordingly, behaviour change is an important component of response to AMR. Little is known about the best approaches to change antibiotic use practices and behaviours. This project aims to develop a context-specific behaviour change strategy focusing on promoting appropriate prescription practices following the World Health Organization recommendations for surgical prophylaxis in an orthopaedic surgery unit in Egypt.Methods: The project included a formative qualitative research study was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore the determinants for inappropriate prescription of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis at an orthopaedic unit. The intervention was developed to following the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) in a knowledge co-production workshop with infection prevention and control experts that ensured that the theory based intervention was a culturally acceptable, practical and implementable intervention. Results: The prescription of surgical prophylaxis was influenced by five TDF domains including, knowledge, belief in consequences (mistrust towards infection prevention and control measures), environmental factors (lack of prescription guidelines) , professional role and reinforcement (a lack of appropriate follow up actions influenced prescription of surgical prophylaxis). The appropriate set of behaviour change functions of BCW and related activities to improve the current practices included education, enablement, persuasion, environmental restructuring and restriction. Conclusions The study showed that a theory based and context specific intervention can be created by using the TDF and BCW together with knowledge-co creation to improve the prescription of surgical prophylaxis in and Egyptian orthopaedic unit. The intervention need to piloted and scaled up.


Author(s):  
Michael E. King ◽  
Diana M. Bensyl ◽  
Richard A. Goodman ◽  
Sonja A. Rasmussen

Performing field investigations is a core function of epidemiology in public health. When a threat to the public’s health occurs, epidemiologists investigate to describe the problem and identify causes, recommend immediate prevention and control measures, and provide a foundation for communicating information quickly to those who need to know to save lives and protect people from future illness. Although diseases and evaluative technologies evolve continually, the approach to conducting an epidemiologic field investigation remains relatively constant. Investigating an outbreak requires both a speedy and accurate response, necessitating a systematic approach that results in action. This chapter describes the basic 10-step approach for conducting an epidemiologic field investigation. Although the steps in this chapter are presented in a numeric and conceptual order, the order sometimes changes in practice. Ultimately, the goal of any epidemiologic field investigation is to use the science of epidemiology to rapidly ensure public health and safety.


Bangladesh is struggling with dreadful outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases for the past few years. Disease Control Division of Directorate General (DG) of Health Service considered the capital of Bangladesh as the breeding ground for mosquitos. Recent incidence of Dengue and Chikungunya outbreaks have surpassed all past records of outbreak. Thus, the country is witnessing an elevated rate of viral fever incidence alarmingly. Though symptoms of mosquito-borne viral infection are very typical, the recent incidence of fatalities is growing great public health concern. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends practical control measures to minimize the breeding within the community of Bangladesh. The actions of Kolkata City Corporation to control Dengue are also suggestive for Bangladesh. There is no medication to treat Dengue, and Chikungunya infection, but initial recognition and apposite medical care can reduce the death threat.


2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (25) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Klavs ◽  
A Hocevar-Grom ◽  
M Socan ◽  
M Grgic-Vitek ◽  
L Pahor ◽  
...  

National communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control in Slovenia is coordinated by the Communicable Diseases Centre of the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia


2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (25) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Bormane ◽  
I Lucenko ◽  
J Perevoščikovs

The Latvian public health service dates back to 1947. The Sanitary Epidemiological Service, created in Soviet times, provided two main functions – assessment of health risk factors, including surveillance of communicable diseases, and inspection.


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