Directors of ECDC and WHO Regional Office for Europe sign a first Memorandum of Understanding

During a WHO Regional Meeting in Bucharest, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Zsuzsanna Jakab, and Director WHO Europe, Marc Danzon, signed the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations. The MoU recognises that both organisations are involved in public health development in Europe, and need to work in concert. The following areas of collaboration were identified:

Air-borne diseases (including influenza) - Vaccine-preventable diseases (including vaccine issues) - Sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne viral diseases - Food- and water-borne diseases, diseases of environmental origin, and zoonoses - Antimicrobial resistance and nosocomial infections - Serious imported diseases and other travel-related health issues

A particular attention in the collaboration will be directed towards surveillance and the development of a single European reporting system. The parties will closely collaborate to strengthen the detection of emerging threats and the joint response to public health events in Europe, and issues concerning the implementation of the International Health Regulation.