EU Initiative on Health Security: a look back on the achievements of 2022
In 2022, ECDC and its partners have continued their efforts through the EU Initiative on Health Security to further strengthen the regional workforce for the prevention and control of challenges posed by communicable diseases in the EU enlargement and the EU Neighbourhood Policy Partner (ENP) countries.
In 2022, the Initiative undertook a series of successful actions across its focus areas:
Work package 1: Workforce-oriented capacity-building
Cohort 5 of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (MediPIET) started its two-year FETP-programme with 16 new fellows from Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo1, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine2, Serbia, and Tunisia.
Throughout the year, ECDC has been working closely with training site supervisors and experts in the partner countries, mentoring fellows, sharing expertise, providing guidance, and offering additional training opportunities to experts from partner countries that do not host a fellow in the active cohorts (Cohort 4 and 5).
Eight MediPIET modules and three Inject Days were delivered for Cohort 4 and 5 fellows in 2022, a new MediPIET Training Site was appraised in Libya and the MediPIET training site in Palestine2 underwent a training site review.
A training needs assessment was carried out, and further work towards a strengthened regional network and sustainability of the programme was done through initiating work with MediPIET alumni fellows from graduated cohorts on setting up of the MediPIET Alumni Network.
In November 2022, MediPIET was officially accepted as a member of the global TEPHINET network.
MediPIET modules, 2022
| Activities of Cohort 4 | Activities of Cohort 5 |
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Work package 2: Epidemic intelligence, risk assessment, preparedness, and response
ECDC provided several training courses and workshops within the fields of epidemic intelligence, risk assessment, preparedness, and response.
These activities included a workshop to identify the capacity-building needs of the public health emergency operation centres in the partner countries, a workshop on public health risk communication, a four-day training on epidemic intelligence and rapid risk assessment, a tailored training on epidemic intelligence, rapid risk assessment and emergency operation centres, and an after-action review on evidence-based decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the year, bilateral meetings with partner countries took place in order to discuss how to further refine the skills of their dedicated public health staff and to improve national capacity-building and response capabilities.
Work package 3: Integration into ECDC systems, knowledge-sharing, and networks
The EU Initiative on Health Security continues to pursue the gradual integration of partner countries into the structure of ECDC.
As part of this effort, ECDC organised monthly webinars for the partner countries’ National Focal Points for preparedness, response, and threat detection.
In March, partner country representatives were invited to the 11th annual meeting of the Food- and Water-borne Diseases and Zoonoses Network, and in November ECDC hosted the annual meeting for the National ECDC Correspondents in the ENP partner countries and the MediPIET National Focal Points.
The EU Initiative on Health Security
The EU Initiative on Health Security is a five-year programme (2020–2025) aimed at enhancing public health preparedness and response capacities in the European Union enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries through enhanced regional cooperation, trainings and optimising of skills.
If you would like to find out more about the EU Initiative on Health Security and the Work Programme for 2023, please contact us at eu-initiative-on-health-security@ecdc.europa.eu
