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Cross-border Epidemic Intelligence

Co-leaders: France (InVS), MECIDS

Team members: Algeria (IPH), Israel (MoH), Jordan (MoH), Kosovo (IPH), Malta (MoH), Montenegro (IPH), Morocco (MoH), Palestine (MoH), Romania (IPH/ISPB), Tunisia (MoH), Turkey (MoH)

 

Background: 

Enhancing Early Warning System (EWS) in the Mediterranean is essential to reinforce health security in the area. Formalized procedures exist at international level: IHR-2005 that gives WHO a worldwide mandate, and EWRS that sets the notification regulation for EU countries (2119/98 and 2000/57). However, surveillance and alert networks developed by European and International organizations are not interconnected and none fulfill the need of enhanced health information exchange across the Mediterranean.

Objectives: 

To enhance Mediterranean Early Warning Systems (EW) allowing alerts and epidemic intelligence information sharing among EpiSouth countries and developing interoperability with other EW platforms (including the European EW and Response System (EWRS) as forecast by the current EU legislation).

Activities: 

  • Dissemination of weekly-based information on international health events occurring in EpiSouth and non-EpiSouth countries through the e-WEB.
  • Communication and alerts dissemination will be done through the secure website/platform with access restricted to EpiSouth countries and partners (EU, ECDC and WHO) through official Focal Points
  • Synergies will be sought to allow development of interoperability with other (European and other) relevant EW and surveillance systems, in strong collaboration with ECDC and WHO
  • During EpiSouth phase 1, a secure platform has been developed. In order to ease interoperability with EU EWRS, SANCO requested to develop a new platform under EPIS environment. The general principle has been accepted. Before being operational this principle has to be endorsed by the participating countries, current functionality should be included and allow interoperability with other EW systems (EU and non-EU)