Communicable Diseases

SENCA: new Southern European Network tackling HIV/HCV Co-Infection

The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) is supporting the creation of a new network of activists from Italy, Spain, France and Portugal (SENCA) because in parts of Southern Europe, liver failure is now the leading cause of death among HIV-positive people.
In various areas of Southern Europe, liver failure is now the leading cause of death among HIV-positive people. Several factors contribute to the situation:
Hepatitis C is prevalent among people living with HIV; 30 to 70% are (...)

IDUs’ access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in Central and Eastern Europe

On November 24-25 2007, the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) in partnership with the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) held a seminar in Vilnius, Lithuania, entitled Access to HIV treatment drugs for injecting drug users (IDUs) in Central and Eastern Europe. The seminar was organised within the framework of the “AIDS Action & Integration”, led by AIDES and funded by the European Commission (DG SANCO).
The Action and Integration project is designed to promote the (...)

EPHA Briefing note on the International Health Regulations

In our increasingly interconnected world international travel is more common for more people and over longer distances, leading to greater concerns over the threats posed by infectious disease outbreaks.
There has long been recognition of the need to put in-place a systematic approach for authorities to respond to such in the form of agreements on international cooperation on infectious diseases.
These agreements have evolved from being rather straightforward and covering a limited number (...)

Albanian Association for Prevention and Rehabilitation from AIDS and Drugs

The Albanian Association for Prevention and Rehabilitation from AIDS and Drugs (APRAD) has been very active in following harm reduction strategies in reducing risk of HIV or STD acquisition or transmission.
APRAD publish very informative monthly Newsletters, which offer an interesting insights into its work. The Newsletter follows the APRAD Centre which offer diverse services such as -
Training session for at-risk and vulnerable groups
Condom distribution and clean syringes
Psychosocial (...)

9 Million Euros to fight against TB for the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development

The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development announced that they have received a grant of 9 million euros from the Irish government to help combat tuberculosis which continues to kill 2 million people every year.
The grant, which is the second this year for the TB alliance from the Government of Ireland, comes at a time of great concern from World Health authorities over a substantial rise in the number of multiple and drug resistant strains of TB.
The money will be used over a period of (...)

TB alliance to sponsor drug study

The TB alliance are to sponsor a systematic preclinical study to look into various drug combinations for the treatment of tuberculosis.
The study is intended to identify one or more novel drug combinations to shorten TB therapy and aims to rapidly move these combinations into clinical development. It will involve a comprehensive survey of potential drug combinations, which may include compounds of drugs that are already available, drugs in clinical trials and drugs in preclinical (...)

Conference on "Tuberculosis - The Way Forward", London - 16 October 2006

EPHA member, the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and the British Thoracic Society organise a conference entitled Tuberculosis - The Way Forward on Monday 16 October 2006, in London.
The conference aims to provide an opportunity for those working in TB management, prevention and control to take stock of these developments, share experiences and ideas, and look forward to the next few years to reverse the UK’s increasing TB rates.
The conference is of particular interest to physicians, (...)

Supporting the International Drug Purchase Facility

AIDES is seeking for support on a declaration about new fundraising schemes to support access to medicines for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The governments of Brasil, Chile, France, and Norway among others have become strong supporters of both:
implementing innovative fundraising mechanisms to support worldwide development efforts (notably through a small tax on airfares)
setting up a new International Drug Purchase Facility - dedicated to improve long-term and cost-efficient access (...)

An extra grant for the TB Alliance to fight against tuberculosis

The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (’TB Alliance’) announced in late May that it is receiving $104 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance a pipeline of new TB drugs over the next five years.
This is the second grant received by the TB Alliance from the Gates Foundation. The grant quadruples the foundation’s initial support.
The funding will serve to pursue pre-clinical trials and continue engagement with policy-makers, TB drug providers, and advocates to (...)

Briefing note on Influenza

A flu pandemic is the world’s worst nightmare.
Influenza is the infectious disease which could cause a global health emergency with the potential of economic collapse and public unrest.
Pandemics are a fact in human history. In the last century there were three major flu pandemics. Most famously the Spanish flu of 1918-19 killed up to 40 million people, more than the devastating first world war. The South East Asia flu pandemic of 1957 resulted in an estimated 2 million dead and 1968 saw (...)

World AIDS Day 2004: EPHA members in action

World AIDS Day 2004 focuses on women, girls, and HIV and AIDS. Figures show that globally females are becoming infected with HIV at a faster rate than males, a change from the early years of the pandemic.
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, UNAIDS and WHO launched the AIDS epidemic update 2004 on 23 November. With maps and regional summaries, the 2004 edition of the annual report provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic’s scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic’s (...)

EPHA Briefing on the Draft Proposal for Paediatric Medicines

EPHA Secretariat has prepared a briefing note on the draft ’Regulation on Medicinal products for Paediatric Use’ published by the European Commission on 29 September 2004.
Extensive testing is required on all medicines authorised for use in adults to ensure they are safe, of high quality and effective. However, more than 50% of the medicines currently used to treat children have neither been tested or authorised for paediatric use.
The aim of the regulation is to improve children’s health (...)

EPHA briefing on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

EPHA Secretariat has prepared a briefing note on the new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) which was officially launched in Stockholm on 27 September.The briefing includes a comparison with the ECDC’s American counterpart the Center’s for Disease Control.
EU Health Commissioner Byrne said that he felt confident that the ECDC would really help Europe’s citizens from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS and influenza and the threat of bio-terrorism. During the day, the buzz (...)

EPHA Briefing ’Revision of International Health Regulations’

The WHO European Regional Consultation on the Revision of the International Health Regulations took place in Copenhagen, 9-11 June 2004.
The meeting, which was part of a process started in 1995 to revise the International Health Regulations (IHR), was intended to provide the member states in the WHO European Region with the opportunity to become familiar with the draft revision of the new IHR document and to identify problems and discuss solutions.
A briefing note prepared by the EPHA (...)

Natural medicine in an united Europe - quo vadis? (2004)

The Association of Natural Medicine in Europe (ANME) held a symposium on the specific needs of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the EU on 13 November 2004 in Frankfurt/M., Germany.
While discussions on health care costs and reimbursement structures are going on, while regulations on pharmaceuticals are being released, some of them threatening the test certificate of natural drugs, CAM is neglected in the debate on health policy.
But if health systems are to remain affordable (...)

World Congress on Public Health, 19-22 April 2004

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) 10th International Congress entitled Sustaining Public Health in a Changing World: Vision to Action will be held in Brighton, UK on 19-22 April 2004.
As public health faces the new challenges, the question arises: is public health in a crisis? The Congress will bring together public health associations and agencies, teaching institutions, international agencies and NGO’s from all regions of the world, to reflect upon and discuss (...)

BMA position on the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC)

The BMA fully supports moves to set up the ECDC and sees it as an essential step towards improving disease surveillance and the ability to take prompt and effective action in Europe. Increased mobility of the population, emergence of new diseases and the threat of bioterrorism means that the risks from disease are not diminishing. However, the strength of the Centre should be its role in the monitoring and control of more common but less topical disease such as Legionnaires disease and (...)

US and EU Disagree on AIDS Fund

US and EU are the two world’s largest donors to fight AIDS in Africa. However their approaches differ substantially.
Recent comments of Wanjiku Kamau (Dutch AIDS Fonds) to the european press picture the situation from the NGO point of view.
Wanjiku Kamau, Dutch AIDS Fonds.

IAVI organises Symposium in the EP

The EPHA Secretariat acted as the logistics organiser for the International Aids Vaccine Iniative (IAVI) Symposium organised in the European Parliament on 17 June 2003.
The event brought together Parliamentarians, journalists, experts and advocates to raise awareness about the urgency of the need for an AIDS vaccine and to examine the potential contribution of European research and development.
IAVI (...)

National monitoring of chemicals and health in UK

The new UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) will have a remit to study the long term health effects of low-level chemical and radiation exposure. This reflects a enw political priority and recognises the public concern about the health risks from use of mobile phones, industrial chemicals and pollution from landfill sites and incinerators. The HPA’s first five-year plan , states that exposure to chemicals and poisons isgreater in poor and disadvantaged areas and that children are be at (...)

EU health ministers rehearse for major health crises

Gathering for an informal meeting on 8-9 September, the EU Health Ministers emphasised the need to improve coordination and speed up reactions at European level to enable authorities to efficiently protect the public in case of major outbreaks of contagious diseases like avian influenza, SARS and yellow fever.
The conclusions followed a simulation exercise, during which ministers discussed how to react in terms of communication, regulating travel and using and stockpiling health products (...)

Recent upsurge in measles puts unvaccinated people at risk, warns ECDC

The ECDC warns of a resurgence in measles cases across Europe in the first quarter of 2008. With concerns over Euro 2008 exacerbating the situation, the ECDC and WHO Europe call for higher vaccination rates.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has recently warned of increased numbers of measles cases in the first quarter of 2008: more than 1300 cases have been reported this year compared with 800 in the same quarter last year. This is a serious blow to the World Health (...)

**UPDATED** The ECDC starts working

*This article has been updated with information on the ECDC’s work programme for 2006.*
The EU’s new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was officially inaugurated in May 2005. Although the main bodies are now in place, the ECDC is not expected to address its full mandate before 2007.
Besides, in 2007, the European Commission (EC), the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of Ministers will review its mandate, which may cover non-communicable disease (such as for (...)

Three new bodies to coordinate more efficiently the EU fight against HIV pandemic

Following the Dublin Ministerial Conference “Breaking the Barriers - Partnership to fight AIDS/HIV in Europe and Central Asia”, the European Commission set up 3 bodies dedicated to coordinating the fight against HIV/AIDS in Europe and neighbouring countries.
The situation in new EU Member States and their neighbours particularly raises concern. In EU’s eastern neighbours, the rates of new infections are among the highest in the world especially in the Russian Federation, Ukraine (...)

ECDC Director committed to improve public health in Europe

Mrs Zsuzsanna Jakab begun working as the first Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in March 2005.
Objectives of the ECDC
Speaking at the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee hearing on Monday 10 January 2005, she asserted very clearly 4 broad functions for the future ECDC :
Organising and coordinating the collaboration between EU institutions, Member States and other partners such as the World Health (...)

Hungarian public health official first director of ECDC

Health Council discusses AIDS, nutritional claims and zoonotic diseases

Health ministers met on 6 December in Brussels, under the chairmanship of Hans Hoogervorst, the Dutch Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport.
The agenda included the debate on European strategy against HIV/AIDS, initial exchange of views on paediatric medicines, a review of progress on the draft Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods, and the adoption of Council conclusions on zoonotic diseases.
Fight against HIV/AIDS
In line with the Commission working paper and the (...)

New ECDC to fight communicable diseases in Europe

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control launched in Stockholm in September 2004, is due to start work in May 2005.
The lauch was attended by senior Health Officials and Politicians from around Europe, North America and Asia and by EPHA Executive Committee member, Florence Bertelleti-Kemp.
Mr David Byrne, former Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, gave a speech in which he said "SARS in 2003 showed us that, in today’s world, a disease outbreak can spread (...)

Chairman Elected at Inaugural Meeting of ECDC Management Board

Following the official launch of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on the 27 September the inaugural meeting of the ECDC’s Management Board was held on the 28 September.
At this meeting Dr. Marc Sprenger, Director-General of the National Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands, was appointed as Chairman of the ECDC’s Management Board with Dr. Meni Malliori, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Athens and a former Member of the (...)

EU ministers address HIV/AIDS threat in Europe

EU health ministers and AIDS experts from across the EU met in Vilnius, Lithuania on 16-17 September 2004 for a conference entitled Europe and HIV/AIDS: New Challenges, New Opportunities. It was organised jointly by the Lithuanian government and the European Commission and followed up on the Ministerial Conference on HIV/AIDS of 23-24 February this year during the Irish Presidency of the EU (see related EPHA’s article).
The main outcome of the conference was the adoption of a (...)

Conclusions of the Health Council, June 2004

The Health Council met on 1-2 June 2004 in Luxemburg to revise negotiating directives for the Commission in respect of the revision of International Health Regulations (IHR) within the framework of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Council also adopted a Decision concerning the conclusion on behalf of the Community of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The Council held a debate on the need to promote heart health and adopted several conclusions (see minutes of (...)

EU funds research project on drug resistance

The EU announced on the 28th June 2004 a contribution of €9 million to the “Vigilance against Viral Resistance” (VIRGIL) project.
This project intends to start by studying viral hepatitis and influenza, and then broadening to other viruses.
The network will be based on research and technological platforms to monitor existing, and anticipate future, drug resistance.
The VIRGIL project is coordinated by Lyon’s INSERM research centre and gathers 55 key European field experts from (...)

Blair, Chirac and Schroeder’s vision of health in Europe !

Chirac, Schroeder and Blair met on 16 February 2004 and set forward their ideas on how to make the EU more competitive. Specifically they called for a ’Super commissioner’ whose job would be to cut red tape and ensure that all EU legislation is checked for its impact and cost to business before it is approved. The big 3 summit also included the health ministers who discussed healthcare reform.
The three leaders sent an open letter to the Irish Prime Minster as President of the EU with (...)

MEPs to vote on Bowis report on the European Centre for Disease Control

The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy adopted a draft report on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (COM(2003) 441 - C5-0400/2003 - 2003/0174(COD)).
The rapporteur was Mr. John Bowis MEP.
List of amendments to the draft reportto be voted on 21 January 2004.
For more information, please visit the Cordis (...)

Results of Employment, Social and Health Council, 1-2 December 2003

The Employment, Social policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council gathered together 54 Ministers and government representatives and 3 Commissioners in Brussels on 1-2 December 2003. The Agenda included a number of key legislative and policy items:
The meeting adopted Recommendations on Healthy Lifestyles and on Cancer Screening and held a debate on the new proposed European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) which is currently in First reading in the Parliament. The Member States stressed (...)

Commission demands EU role in fight against global health threats

The European Commission adopted on 23 September a communication in which it supports World Health Organisation’s (WHO) major overhaul of its International Health Regulations (IHR).
The Commission calls for the EU to play a central role in WHO negotiations to reinforce international rules on the control of infectious diseases and other health threats.
Commission’s press (...)

EU-African clinical trials partnership programme

On 1 September 2003, Science & Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin presented the Europe-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) to 46 African Health ministers at the WHO conference in Johannesburg.
This 600 million euro programme was launched in 2002, bringing together the EU Member States (plus Norway), developing countries, the private sector and international foundations.
It aims to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by facilitating and accelerating clinical (...)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control proposed

EU to Donate "a Substantial Contribution" to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

A draft statement was adopted at the Thessaloniki Summit, carefully stating that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would receive a "substantial contribution, on a long-term basis" from the EU.
The US has already committed to contribute with USD 1 Billion by 2004.
Presidency Conclusions of the Thessaloniki Summit

Health Council: SARS and FCTC

The Greek presidency organised a general meeting of member state health ministers on the 6 May.
The agenda included two controversial issues: SARS and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The summit on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) brought together top EU officials and Gro Harlem Brundtland, head of the World Health Organisation.
The health and research commissioners, David Byrne and Philippe Busquin, attended on behalf of the EU.
The head of the World Health (...)

SARS Outbreak and EU Competence on Health

On 7 April 2003, MEP Proinsias DE ROSSA (PES, Ireland), urged an EU wide response to the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). He also called for the EU to be given similar powers for the protection in human health as it has for the protection of animal health.
More information

World Tuberculosis Day: EU-funded Research in the Fight against Tuberculosis

Monday 24th March was World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. The global impact of TB is devastating, especially in developing countries where poverty and the prevalence of HIV lower resistance and encourage further transmission. Tuberculosis causes about 2 million deaths a year, about 98% in developing countries. The EU has channelled 28 million euro into TB drug and vaccine research in the last four years, within the 5th EU research framework programme, and will be committing significantly more (...)

EP votes on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Programme

The European Parliament plenary session voted on a report on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision on Community participation in a research and development programme aimed at developing new clinical interventions to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through a long-term partnership between Europe and the developing countries, undertaken by a number of Member States and Norway.
The Greens/EFA Group Website
The Greens/EFA Group Press (...)

Creating a "Europe of Health"

In January’s electronic issue of Consumer Voice, the newsletter published by DG SANCO, Commissioner Byrne’s vision for a ’Europe of health’ focuses on:
the creation of the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control,
tobacco control measures,
patient mobility, and
bioterrorism
(as well as getting the tenders for the new public health programme launched).

UNAIDS report shows a slowdown in the global HIV epidemic

A new report released by UNAIDS indicates that the HIV epidemic is slowing or stabilising in many regions. Yet women and young people remain at particular risk of HIV infection. The report calls on governments to improve status of women.
Low knowledge about transmission and ways of prevention
The UNAIDS ’2008 Report on the global AIDS Epidemic’ shows that although young people are waiting longer before becoming sexually active, many still do not have accurate information on HIV (...)

Publication of a long-term Strategy for the Surveillance of communicable diseases by the ECDC

ECDC has published its long-term strategy for the surveillance of communicable diseases in the European Union (EU) for the years 2008 to 2013.
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 (...)

World Health Report focuses on Health dimension of Security

The annual World Health Report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for 2007 addresses the health threats to global security.
This year’s World health report, entitled "A safer future: global public health security in the 21st century", was published on 23 August 2007.
Its message is that more than at any time in history global public health security depends on international cooperation and the willingness of all countries to act effectively in tackling new and emerging threats. At (...)

New Report on EC Funding for Health and Development

The Action for Global Health - of which EPHA is part - have launched a report on EC Development funding for health: "An Unhealthy Prognosis?" at an event in the European Parliament on the 15th May 2007.
The report notes the large gap that exists between the political commitments the EC has and its financial commitments. This gap is exacerbated by a further large gap between financial commitments and actual disbursments. The money promised for health in developing countries has not been (...)

Prevalence of TB and Inequalities in Health Care for Roma in Europe

This article gives details of two new reports regarding the health of Roma people in Europe. Firstly the prevalence of TB in Roma communities is addressed in the report Confronting a Hidden Disease: TB in Roma Communities, and secondly, the inequalities in health services is highlighted in a report by the European Roma Rights Centre
TB in Roma Communities
Confronting a Hidden Disease: TB in Roma Communities is a new report by Marta Schaaf of the World Lung Foundation, on behalf of the Open (...)

Recent report suggests Tamiflu resistance among seasonal influenza viruses

A study conducted by VIRGIL network suggests Tamiflu resistance in some of the A (H1N1) viruses circulating in Europe.
The EU-funded VIRGIL network and National Influenza Centres have tested 1497 samples of the A (H1N1) flu virus strain between November 2007 and January 2008 in 18 European countries.
Preliminary results from surveillance of antiviral drug susceptibility among seasonal influenza viruses circulating in Europe show that some of the A (H1N1) viruses are resistant to the (...)

Deadly new form of MRSA emerges

Antibiotic resistance contributes towards the emergence of a new deadly strain of the superbug MRSA which can lead to a flesh-eating form of pneumonia.
So far only two cases of the new form of the USA300 strain of the bug have been recorded in the UK.
The new strain is resistant to treatment by many front-line antibiotics. It causes large boils on the skin, and in severe cases can lead to fatal blood poisoning or necrotising pneumonia, which eats away at the lungs.
MRSA evolution
The (...)

ECDC pilot study uncovers the burden of infectious diseases in Europe

A pilot study undertaken by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) sheds light on the burden of infectious diseases in Europe.
The pilot study was designed to test the potential use of the disease burden concept in the field of infectious diseases, including data quality and availability.
The disease burden of seven infectious diseases (influenza, measles, HIV, campylobacteriosis, infection (...)

**Avian Influenza - Update January 2008**

**Latest Update 21/01/2008.** It aims to focus on developments at international level.
Animal Avian Influenza is now in Europe - Increase of HUMAN cases in Indonesia
Poultry in Turkey and Romania have been hit by cases of Avian Influenza. Croatia also confirms a case of H5N1 in wild birds. Hence the decision from the European Commission to suspend imports of birds, feathers, poultry meat and avian species from Romania and Turkey. Both countries have quarantined the affected zones and (...)

Improving efforts to tackle TB in Europe

2007 has seen several international developments to spur Europe into action on tackling TB. The challenge for 2008 will be to retain this momentum and translate it into policy action.

World AIDS Day: how institutions and advocates approached the event

World AIDS Day was celebrated on 1 December 2007 to remember the victims of the most terrific virus epidemics ever recorded. To date, 25 million people are died throughout the world and 33.2 million are living with HIV/AIDS. After exploring the activities undertaken by Health Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou at the European level, this article will highlight the campaigns undertaken by the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), an EPHA member, in relation to the event.
Health Commissioner (...)

**Updated** Animal Avian Influenza: new cases in Europe in June and July 2007

After the H5N1 was detected in the Czech Republic on 21 June 2007, as of the 4 July 2007, it has been confirmed that the virus is in Germany as well as in France. At the same time an other case has been suspected in Austria.
In the Czech Republic the virus was detected following the death of around 1800 birds on two poultry farms in the centre of the country.
In Germany, the disease was confirmed to be in Thuringia, near Saxony, in a black-necked grebe, after a case, two weeks previous, (...)

**Updated** First outbreak of chikungunya confirmed in Europe

Italian Health authorities have reported a total of 101 confirmed cases result of the outbreak of chikungunya fever, propagated by mosquito bites in the North-East of Italy on Summer 2007. Since 4 July 2007, over 250 cases have been reported, of which 133 are suspected cases waiting for laboratory confirmation.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), has led a team of public health experts who visited the (...)

Joining forces to combat Tuberculosis in Europe

Despite being a preventable and curable disease, in 2005, 65,700 people died from Tuberculosis in the European Region. Moreover, levels of multiple drug-resistant TB in Europe are among the worst in the world and there is a growing problem of HIV/TB co-infection.

WHO adopts new guidance on Malaria

WHO guidance on insecticide-treated mosquito nets is changed to recommend that they be universally distributed free of charge.
WHO recommends universal free insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect against malaria.
On 16 August 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new global guidance for the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect people from malaria following successful trials in Kenya. For the first time, WHO recommends that insecticidal nets be long-lasting, (...)

WHO and Stop TB Partnership release a drug-resistant TB plan

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership, launched on 22 June 2007, The Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan 2007-2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The two-year plan presents various measures to prevent, treat and control extensively drug-resistance tuberculosis (XDRT-TB) and multi drug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
In addition, the plan has started a series of actions to reach one of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, which is focused on the access to drugs and (...)

ECDC and EMCDDA cooperate to prevent drug-related infectious diseases

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) signed a cooperation agreement on joint projects to prevent and control drug-related infectious diseases on 29 June 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.
The ECDC and EMCDDA cooperation agreement starts with the purpose of being a formal framework for both agencies in order to tackle infections related with communicable diseases and to contribute to the EU effort in (...)

First Report on Communicable Diseases in Europe

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has launched on 7 June the First European Communicable Disease Epidemiological Report in partnership with the European Commission and the German Presidency of the EU.
The ECDC report concludes that European citizens are reasonably well protected against most communicable diseases.
The EU-wide incidence of most of the 49 diseases examined was low by international standards and the ten year trend, for most, was either stable or (...)

*UPDATED* Launch of 2006 annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe

*UPDATED* The EU drugs agency, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), has adopted a new mission statement.
2006 annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe
The EMCDDA has launched its 2006 Annual Report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe.
The report offers an overview of the European drugs phenomenon in 29 countries. Drug facts, figures and analyses from across Europe and by country. The report also covers latest trends and social, (...)

Prisons: breeding grounds for disease

The World Health Organisation Europe Region (WHO EURO) launched a Prison Health Database in order to increase the awareness of the problems relating to health in Prisons, to monitor patterns in prison health and to ensure the promotion of public health in prisons.
The database forms part of the WHO’s Health in Prisons project (HIPP). The HIPP was started in 1995 to encourage member states to address health and health care in prisons and to enable better collaboration between prison health (...)

Netherlands commits 30 million euros to combat Deadly Global TB Pandemic

Responding to a tuberculosis (TB) pandemic that is growing more threatening and deadly, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs (DGIS) announced more than 30 million euros investment on 2 November 2006
The investment will be concentrated on three nonprofit Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) that are leading the global effort to develop new TB drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. This is the largest investment that any single country has made to research and development of new tools to (...)

Eurobarometer indicates high misconceptions about HIV/AIDS

Findings from the Commission’s latest Eurobarometer on HIV/AIDS has identified an alarming lack of understanding about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially in new member states.
The survey, which looks at attitudes towards HIV across the 25 member states of the European Union (EU), asked 25,000 people for their views. Attitudes towards how HIV can be transmitted have declined since a similar survey in 2002. The Eurobarometer on HIV/AIDS found that most (...)

Organisations join forces in the fight against TB in Europe

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies unite with the World Health Organisation (WHO) , The European Centre for disease prevention and control (ECDC) and several other organisations to launch Stop TB Europe
The organisations have taken the decision to come together in the Stop TB Europe partnership due to an alarming rise in the cases of multi drug-resistant TB and the more recent emergence of extreme drug-resistant TB which does not respond to any mode of (...)

Assessing the health of prisoners in Europe

the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the World Health Organisation - Europe Region have joined forces to build a database assessing the health of prisoners in Europe.
Among other issues, the database particularly intends to draw the attention on the prevalence of drug abuse within the target group.
Although the full database will only be available online as of July 2006, the first step of the project focuses on drug prevalence and entails a database on (...)

World TB Day 2006: a mixed picture

The Global Alliance for TB drug development, an EPHA member, has just received 14 million dollars from the Dutch, British and Irish governments to accelerate the research for new Tuberculosis cure, while progress in Central and Eastern European countries is particularly weak.
The funding will support the overall operations of the TB Alliance, more particularly drug discovery programmes, pre-clinical development and on-going and new clinical trials. It will also help the TB Alliance develop (...)

Second Global Plan brings the fight against TB to a new level

The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015, Actions for Life was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on 27 January 2006.
With 9 million cases and 2 million deaths every year worldwide, tuberculosis ranks among the leading infectious diseases with an incidence rate of 1% each year.
The Global Plan sets out a 10-year agenda for reducing TB incidence in line with Millennium Development Goals and for halving, by 2015, TB prevalence and deaths compared with 1990 levels. (...)

Preparing the EU against health emergencies - generic guidance

In order to prepare the European Community against health emergencies, the European Commission published a communication and technical guidance on "generic preparedness planning for public health emergencies".
Against the backdrop of SARS, or potential terrorist attacks using biological agents and the threat of pandemic influenza, the need to have a comprehensive and streamlined health emergency preparedness plan has become essential. Following recommendations from the Council in May and (...)

Avian Flu: destroying myths

The following information is meant to complement EPHA’s FAQ on Pandemic Influenza and answers some myths about animal/human pandemic Influenza, effects of vaccines and antivirals.
Bird Flu outbreaks or pandemic flu?
Avian Influenza affect primarily birds and not humans Avian Influenza refers to a group of viruses which affect bird species. Rarely, one of these viruses affect human beings. The current H5N1 is also known as the “Avian plague”, having led to cullling of billions (...)

Library of links on Influenza

You will find below a list of links to different materials on influenza compiled by the EPHA Secretariat.
The World Health Organisation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a whole range of materials on Influenza. The frame below intends to give links to some of the latest available documents.
; INFLUENZA PANDEMIC ; AVIAN INFLUENZA ; Global Influenza Programme ; Avian Influenza portal ; Pandemic Influenza FAQ ; Avian Influenza FAQ ; Global Influenza Preparedness Plan ; (...)

Avian Influenza monthly update - August 2005

Despite strong efforts to control the current epidemic of Avian Flu in South Asian countries, the H5N1 strain has increased its geographical range. It is getting closer to Europe, while various governments begin to consider the threat seriously.
Cases of infected chickens closer to Europe - Stabilisation of human cases
At the beginning of August, experts from the OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health...) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) have (...)

Coordinating response to Influenza pandemic at EU level

*This article has been updated with details of the European Parliament activities.*
Given the current Avian Flu emergency in South Asia, the European Commission has taken two measures to address a potential Influenza pandemic at EU level: reviewing the Directive on Avian Influenza and designing a comprehensive integrated zoonoses strategy.
According to experts, the H5N1 strain that devastates South Asian poultries has the potential to spark off the next pandemic, to which humans have no (...)

Plans to reduce the impact of the next influenza pandemic

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.
Many experts are presenting evidence that supports that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968.
Even if the cause of the next pandemic and the potential magnitude are still uncertain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated (...)

Avian flu represents a real pandemic threat

** Latest update: 22/07/2005.**
Many experts say that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968. The key pre-requisites for a flu pandemic are: a novel virus of animal origin which jumps the species barrier and is able to replicate in the human body and be easily transmitted from human-to-human.
The current avian flu virus, H5N1 fails just the final test.
Avian Flu human cases
In September 2004, a possible human-to-human transmission of the Avian (...)

World Health Assembly urges for action against Pandemic Influenza

The WHO World Health Assembly , which met in Geneva between 16-25 May 2005, underlined the importance of influenza pandemic preparedness.
Deeply concerned by the recent outbreaks in the Avian flu crisis in Asia, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution that urges member states to:
Implement national preparedess planning;
Strenghten surveillance, early-warning systems and cooperation with other relevant authorities;
Increase seasonal vaccine coverage so as to lead to availability of (...)

New joint guidelines on health services and HIV/AIDS

Experts brought together by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to joint guidelines on health services and HIV/AIDS. The new guidelines are a move to help protect the safety and health of workers that deal with HIV/AIDS and they are designed to ’ensure a functioning and healthy medical work force’.
The background for the guidlines is that while access to healthcare is a basic human right, provision of healthcare remains (...)

Cooperation and Immunisation needed to Control Infectious Diseases

Countries of the WHO European Region must scale up Immunisation programmes to help prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. This was the call made at the meeting of the Interagency Immunisation Coordinating Committee organised by WHO in Slovenia on October 21 2004.
Representatives of UNICEF, the World Bank, the Childrens Vaccine Program, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the United States Agency for (...)

Flu Vaccine Shortage Leads to Concern

Concerns are growing that there will be a shortage in the availabilty of Influenza (flu) vaccine in the United States, just as the ’flu’ season is due to start.
The shortage was created after it was discovered that doses of the Influenza vaccine ’Fluvirin’ were found to be contaminated at a manfacturing plant in Liverpool, England. Chiron, the vaccine’s manufacturer were subsequently barred on October 5 2004, by the UK Department of Health from providing vaccine for 3 months.
The (...)

Governments respond to call for a coordinated HIV vaccine effort

The G-8 group of industrialised nations have responded to a call by leading scientists from around the world for a coordinated approach to an HIV vaccine along the lines of the Human Genome project.
In June 2004, the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise was launched as a virtual consortium to enhance coordination, information sharing and global collaboration amongst the world’s HIV vaccine researchers in industrialized and developing countries in both private and public sectors.
The Enterprise (...)

A coordinated and integrated approach to fighting HIV/AIDS in EU and in its neighbourhood

A paper adopted by the European Commission on 8 September 2004 has warned of a potential HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe and called for the EU to show strong leadership in tackling the problem (see pdf document below).
In certain countries that joined the EU on 1 May and in the EU’s eastern neighbours the rates of new infections are the highest in the world, whilst the number of newly reported cases in Western Europe has doubled since 1995.
The paper calls for a coordinated and integrated (...)

Drug resistant TB : a growing problem for Europe

Tuberculosis patients in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia are 10 times more likely to have multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) than in the rest of the world, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report.
New data released on 16 March 2004 confirm geographical concentrations of TB drug resistance across the Commonwealth of Independent States. Six out of the top ten global hotspots are: Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan, with (...)

UNDP warns CEE/NIS countries face a general HIV/AIDS epidemic

A new UNDP report shows that Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have some of the fastest growing rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world.
The impact is compounded by still insufficient public awareness, frequent stigmatization and lack of adequate policy instruments. Nonetheless, the region also has success stories, from which valuable lessons should be taken.
Reversing the Epidemic: Facts and Policy Options offers HIV/AIDS profiles for the countries of the region, (...)

Public health in South East Europe: a call to action

A new report urges action on public health in South East Europe to ensure political and social stability. Healing the crisis: a prescription for public health action in South Eastern Europe is published by a partnership of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Open Society Institute, UNICEF and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
Countries in South East Europe have been affected by conflict, movements of refugees, and disruption of social and economic (...)

World Bank warns of AIDS epidemics in the Balkans

The World Bank warns that urgent action is needed to halt the explosion of HIV/AIDS in South-East Europe and the Balkans. The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region continues to experience the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. Russia and Ukraine remain at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in ECA, but many other countries are now experiencing rapidly emerging epidemics.
Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania share several social conditions that have led to a rapid increase in HIV (...)

New Atlas of health in Europe

The WHO has published a statistical atlas of key health data for the 51 countries of the WHO European region.
The data, covering 1980-2001 includes demographic and population data, figures on mortality and morbidity as well as lifestyle and environmental indicators such as alcohol consumption and road traffic accidents, and types and levels of health care.
The report shows an increasing gap in overall life expectancy between western Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union which (...)

Brief History of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

In early March 2003 the World Health Organization received reports of an outbreak of acute respiratory illness from Viet Nam and South East Asia.
This has been called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS. The outbreak has continued to grow with nearly 6000 cases now reported in 30 different countries. Of these about 90% have occurred in mainland China or Hong Kong.
While groups of cases have occurred in other parts of the world (eg Canada), so far less than 1 % of cases have been (...)

MSF Fact Sheet on Children and HIV/AIDS

The Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Access to Essential Medicines campaign have created a 4-page Fact Sheet on Children and HIV/AIDS.
The publication urges players in HIV/AIDS treatment field to better facilitate access for children to antiretroviral therapy.
MSF makes a number of recommendations, specifically:
WHO and UNICEF should develop a clear strategy to ensure that greater numbers of children receive antiretrovirals;
Pharmaceutical companies should facilitate access for children to (...)

**Updated**Empowering women on the prevention of HIV and STIs

Microbicides are a range of different products that share one common characteristic: the ability to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) when applied either in the vagina or the rectum.
A microbicide could be produced in many forms, including gels, creams, suppositories, films, or as a sponge or ring that releases the active ingredient over time. But microbicides are not yet available.
Scientists are currently testing many substances to see (...)

World Economic Forum debates HIV/AIDS epidemic

The 2005 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) took place on 26-30 January in Davos (Switzerland). One of the central themes of this year’s meeting was the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
Today, about 40 million people are living with AIDS. About half live in Africa, where there are over 8,000 new infections each day.
In his opening address, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair appealed for more aid for Africa and committed the UK to provide nearly one sixth of a World Health (...)

Highlights from 2004 World Health Assembly

17-22 May 2004, the World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva. On the agenda are the global strategies to promote healthy diets and physical activity, and to improve reproductive health. Other themes include action to limit the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, updates on WHO activity on health crises and mental health.
WHO Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook announced the creation of a new Commission to gather evidence on the social and environmental causes of health inequities, and how (...)

OECD 2004 forum addresses health and finance

The OECD Forum 2004 is entitled ’Health of nations’ and will tackle some of the key issues on the international policy agenda, such as the health of the global economy, the health of multilateral co-operation and the health of our citizens.
Themes include human rights and health, ageing, equity of access to healthcare, sustainable development and communicable diseases. Speakers include health and finance ministers from OECD countries, senior WTO, EU and OECD officials.
The forum will be (...)

Joint NGO statement on TRIPS and public health

A joint NGO statement on TRIPS and public health, titled "A ’gift’ bound in red tape" (see attachment) has been issued by 14 NGOs.
The statement says that "as a measure of trade policy, [the WTO deal on medicines] contradicts the basic principles of the WTO and free trade."
It also includes an explanatory list of the main problems with the rules, and finally, two clear demands:
"We call upon the WTO member countries to draft an amendment to the TRIPS that simplifies and clarifies the (...)

Pharmacovigilance - an introduction

The European Medicinces Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has a working group on Pharmacovigilance. Emmanuel Trenado has been organising input on behalf of EPHA member organisations. He has drafted this introductory text on the question of pharmacovigilance. Comments welcome until the end of August 2003.
While you are having your breakfast, you hear on the radio that a certain medicine against cholesterol or against insomnia or pain has been taken off the market, that there have been some deaths, (...)