Infectious Diseases Control

The EUPHA Infectious disease control section aims to promote and strengthen the quality of infectious disease prevention and control in the European Region at the local, national and regional levels. The Section seeks to generate and share evidence and experience, and support decision makers in evidence-based policy-making.

Our aim is to promote and strengthen the quality of infectious disease prevention and control in the European Region, at both local and national level, by increasing evidence and sharing experience. We hope all members will contribute to our new website so that it becomes a lively forum for the exchange of information and experience in the field of infectious diseases. We aim to bring together public health practitioners, researcher and policymakers to stimulate exchange of ideas and visions and we plan to use the website to encourage all our members to contribute to the section’s work programme which currently includes joint training and joint research projects, to increase evidence and quality of control activities.

The EUPHA-IDC has set itself the following objectives:

• To promote and strengthen research in the field of infectious diseases.
  To intensify the spreading of existing information in the field of infectious diseases.
  To provide a platform for the exchange of information between policymakers, practitioners and researchers in the field of infectious diseases control.
  To encourage joint activities in the field of infectious diseases control.
  To respond proactively to public health related aspects in the field of infectious diseases control.
  To promote and strengthen education in the field of infectious diseases.

The EUPHA Infectious Disease Control (IDC) section was established in Rome in 2003.

The last 50 years have seen medical advances in the field of infectious diseases that have greatly expanded our collective capacity to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats through tools such as vaccination, antibiotics, diagnostics and the use of information technology for surveillance, as well as through coordinated policy responses, not least via greater European coordination: the European Union, has developed and supported many activities in the field of communicable diseases surveillance, training and communication, in the EU and beyond notably through the activities of the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC). However in recent times these tools and policies are at risk from, amongst other threats, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine hesitancy and political uncertainty in Europe. The increased speed and volume of travel, trade and migration further compound infectious disease threats in region and globally. The need for a strong Infectious disease control section within EUPHA is therefore greater than ever

The mission of the EUPHA IDC is to promote and strengthen the quality of infectious disease prevention and control in the European Region, at the local, national and regional levels, by generating and sharing evidence and experience, and supporting decision makers in evidence-based policy-making.

To achieve this, in 2018-2021 the EUPHA section will focus on the following goals:

Engage infectious disease control public health practitioners, researchers and policymakers from across the region and with expertise in the different aspects of IDC in order to stimulate exchange of ideas, practice and visions.
Strive to bring relevant evidence to decision makers in the relevant fora through participation and contribution to relevant meetings, workshops and fora.
Disseminate evidence and good practice on the different aspects of IDC to the European public health community through the annual European Public Health Conference and other relevant meetings.
Encourage joint activities in the field of infectious disease control, including training and research.