European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was established in 2005. It is an EU agency aimed at strengthening Europe's defences against infectious diseases. It is located in Stockholm, Sweden.

ECDC works in three key strategic areas:

+ it provides evidence for effective and efficient decision-making
+ it strengthens public health systems
+ it supports the response to public health threats.

ECDC core functions cover a wide spectrum of activities: surveillance, epidemic intelligence, response, scientific advice, microbiology, preparedness, public health training, international relations, health communication, and the scientific journal Eurosurveillance.

ECDC disease programmes cover antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections; emerging and vector-borne diseases; food- and waterborne diseases and zoonoses; HIV, sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis; influenza and other respiratory viruses; tuberculosis; and vaccine-preventable diseases. All in all, ECDC monitors 52 communicable diseases.

Wikipedia: European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Centre_for_Disease_Prevention_and_Control

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