The strategy attempts to define the terms and scope of surveillance, its aims and objectives, and its organisational requirements, as well as outlining ways to support the Member States and presenting an implementation roadmap. The overall goal is to provide relevant public health data, information and reports to decision-makers, professionals and health-care workers to promote actions resulting in the timely prevention and control of communicable diseases in Europe.
The strategy will be implemented in two phases: a transition period until 2010, when the main focus will be on the integration of the coordination of the current EU-wide Dedicated Surveillance Networks to ECDC; and the period between 2010 and 2013 when ECDC will have taken over the full responsibility of surveillance and can focus on developing and consolidating the highest quality and effective system possible for the EU. The strategy will be periodically revisited with the Commission, Member States and other stakeholders.
The recent issue of Eurosurveillance contains an article giving some background to the strategy and presenting the steps and considerations that led to its development.
For further information
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