What's Happening?
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in coordination with Italy's Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), is conducting training for 40 national epidemiologists and technical experts in Rome. This training is a preparatory step for the
rollout of Epi+, a new multilingual event-based surveillance platform designed to help countries detect and assess emerging public health threats. Epi+ aims to provide EU/EEA Member States with enhanced tools to record and assess public health issues and coordinate information across national institutions, filling a gap as most Member States lack dedicated digital tools for these processes. The platform will complement and be interoperable with EpiPulse, ECDC’s platform for sharing epidemic signals. The source code for Epi+ will be available to public health authorities across Europe, allowing for national adaptation. Vicky Lefevre, ECDC Head of Surveillance, Preparedness and Response, stated that Epi+ will help countries share and assess information more systematically and support cooperation. Anna Teresa Palamara, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at ISS, emphasized that the training will help participating countries integrate Epi+ into their national surveillance activities. Experts from nine EU/EEA countries, including Croatia, Greece, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Portugal, Norway, and Slovenia, are participating in the training, alongside representatives from the University of Oslo Health Information Systems Programme Centre (HISP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Why It's Important?
The development and rollout of Epi+ represent a significant advancement in public health surveillance capabilities across Europe. By providing a standardized and interoperable platform, Epi+ will enhance the ability of EU/EEA Member States to detect, assess, and respond to emerging public health threats more efficiently. This is crucial for preventing and mitigating the spread of diseases, especially those that cross borders. The platform's ability to integrate information from various national institutions will foster better coordination and a more unified response to health crises. The availability of the source code for national adaptation ensures that the tool can be tailored to specific country needs, promoting broader adoption and effectiveness. This initiative strengthens Europe's overall public health infrastructure, making it more resilient against future pandemics and other health emergencies. The collaborative training effort also builds essential expertise among national epidemiologists, ensuring that the platform is effectively utilized at the country level.
What's Next?
Following the current training in Rome, the Epi+ platform is scheduled for rollout in June 2027, with the nine participating EU/EEA countries being the first to implement it. This initial phase will likely serve as a pilot, providing valuable feedback for further refinements and broader deployment across other Member States. The ECDC will continue to coordinate with national public health authorities to ensure smooth integration and effective utilization of the platform. Ongoing training and technical support will be crucial to build and maintain the necessary expertise among national epidemiologists and technical experts. The interoperability with EpiPulse suggests a future where public health surveillance data can be more seamlessly shared and analyzed across Europe, leading to more proactive and coordinated responses to health threats. The success of Epi+ could also influence the development of similar surveillance systems in other regions, contributing to global health security.
