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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control quarterly newsletter no InsightJanuary–March 2010 11 In this issue: 1. Farewell to Zsuzsanna Jakab, ECDC founding Director Management Board approves ECDC’s 2010 work programme 2. Editorial by Acting Director ECDC’s response to the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic 3. ECDC’s Crisis Communication Workshop for Advisory Forum Members Eurovaccine conference From left to right: Karl Ekdahl, Margot Wallström, Zsuzsanna Jakab, and Johan Giesecke ECDC marks TB Day Supporting the countries’ Farewell to Zsuzsanna Jakab, communication activities ECDC founding Director 4. Programme presentation: January was a time for farewell at ECDC as its found- Director of ECDC in charge of the day-to-day manage- Programme on emerging and ing Director, Zsuzsanna Jakab, was due to join WHO ment of the Centre. In this job, he is supported by vectorborne diseases as new Regional Director for Europe on 1 February Johan Giesecke on all scientific issues (read more on 2010. Margot Wallström, Vice President of the page 2). ECDC staff also acknowledged Zsuzsanna 5. Annual meeting STI European Commission in charge of Institutional Jakab’s achievements during a farewell staff meeting. surveillance network/Annual meeting HIV surveillance Relations and Communication, paid a goodbye visit Starting from a mere concept, Ms Jakab built ECDC network to Zsuzsanna during her final week at ECDC. Ms Jakab into an internationally respected centre of excel- was accompanied by Karl Ekdahl, Head of the Health lence; a legacy that will rightly follow her for the rest Training of Overseas Communication Unit, and Johan Giesecke, ECDC Chief of her professional career. Her successor is expected Territories Scientist. As of 1 February, Karl Ekdahl is the Acting to be appointed during the spring. 6. ECDC’s Health Communication Knowledge Resource Centre (KRC) Management Board approves 7. EU tuberculosis reference laboratories engage in an ECDC’s 2010 work programme unprecedented initiative in TB control At its last meeting in November 2009, the priority should be given to its work on specific dis- Management Board approved ECDC’s Work ease areas from 2010 onwards (HIV/AIDS, tuberculo- HSC communicators face-to- Programme for 2010. The annual work programme sis, influenza, antimicrobial resistance, etc.) accord- face meeting details the activities to be developed in 2010 by ECDC ing to the strategic multi-annual programme. contributing to the implementation of its strategic The Management Board has thus adopted a set of ECDC workshop on migration multi-annual programme from 2007-2013, and of the long-term strategies for the six groups of specific and HIV missions set up in the Founding Regulation. diseases covered by ECDC. In 2010, after five years of operation, ECDC will reach Partnerships with the EU countries, institutions and 8. New publications its full capacity with a final increase of the budget by agencies, neighbouring countries and other external 20% (reaching €60 million) and 45 additional staff partners will continue to be one of the main drivers Upcoming events members. of all ECDC activities. As ECDC’s core public health functions (surveillance, The annual work programme is now available on scientific advice, preparedness and response, health ECDC’s website, where the detail of its activities can communication) should now be in place, a greater be consulted. www.ecdc.europa.eu 1 Insight no11 | January–March 2010 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Editorial by Acting Director Karl Ekdahl ECDC in a transition also sad as we are losing a charis- of guard takes place at a crucial matic leader who, from the start, point in time. ECDC will reach its phase has been ECDC personified—the full size when it comes to staff January 2010 marks the end of mother of ECDC. and funding in 2010-2011. We will an era in the life of ECDC. After But life goes on, and a new also enter into the second phase five years as Director, Zsuzsanna Director for ECDC is due to be of our Multiannual Strategic Plan Jakab left ECDC to become the appointed later this spring. In the 2007-2013 this year. Although I new WHO Regional Director for interim period I will be the Acting am well aware of the challenges Europe. For all of us in ECDC, this Director, supported by Chief that these months will present to is a time of mixed feelings. On the Scientist, Johan Giesecke, and ensure the Centre continues to one hand we are very happy—both the rest of the senior management deliver a high quality service to for her personally, but also for the team. Although no major changes its partners, I know that I can rely opportunities we now see for fur- will take place during the interim on a highly professional and moti- ther developing a long-term part- period, we will need to work hard vated staff and the full support of nership between ECDC and WHO to ensure a successful transition our Management Board and the Euro. On the other hand, we are to the new Director. The change Commission. ECDC’s response to the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic— the story so far not over. In the eastern parts of the EU, influenza activity rates are still elevated. Considerable pres- sure remains on ECDC to deliver surveillance information, produce and facilitate dissemination of scientific knowledge and commu- nicate key messages to profes- sionals and the general public. In addition, ECDC contributes to evaluations of what happened and what could have been done better regarding the pandemic and the response to events. All of this work will now be coordinated through a reinforced influenza program led by Professor Angus Nicoll, ECDC’s influenza pro- gramme coordinator. ECDC continues to communicate to EU citizens on appropriate pre- ventative measures (e.g. personal hygiene). Vaccination remains the most potent countermeasure for any human influenza. Given the significant risks to health from the pandemic, ECDC will continue to strongly advise all Europeans who are offered pandemic or seasonal ECDC has been working inten- work on the pandemic response pattern of infection and epidemi- vaccines to get vaccinated. sively since the onset of the 2009 while core activities were main- ology in Europe will continue to be influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (April tained. After nine months of reported in the Weekly Influenza For further information on vaccines, 2009) to fulfil its mandates on sur- operating within this crisis man- Surveillance Overview and in the please see the article ‘Pandemic veillance, scientific advice, com- agement structure, ECDC down- ECDC Executive Update on the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 vaccines in the munication and technical support. graded its alert level to 0 on 18 2009 Pandemic. In addition, ECDC European Union’ by K Johansen, A Nicoll, In order to mobilise the necessary January 2010. This decision was Influenza Weekly Digest is sent to BC Ciancio and P Kramarz, published in Eurosurveillance on 15 October 2009. internal resources, ECDC raised its based on the declining numbers stakeholders. internal activity level for a Public of 2009 pandemic influenza cases However, influenza pandemics For an ECDC view on what will happen next with the flu, click here. Health Event (PHE) to alert level 1 and deaths in most EU countries. are unpredictable—during the The ECDC Q&As on vaccines and (and for a short period to level 2). Following this decision, ECDC last one in 1968, the second win- vaccination for experts and the general This meant that a sufficient Daily Updates will no longer be ter was worse than the first—and public can be found on the ECDC 2009 number of staff within ECDC could produced. Developments in the the current influenza pandemic is pandemic influenza A(H1N1) web page. 2 www.ecdc.europa.eu European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Insight no11 | January–March 2010 ECDC’s Crisis Communication ECDC-Eurovaccine 2009, the workshop for Advisory Forum first European Vaccination Members Conference organized by ECDC On 18 February, ECDC organised a Crisis Communication workshop for Eurovaccine 2009, the first European conference on vaccination and the benefit of the Advisory Forum (AF) Members. The workshop pro- immunisation organised and fully funded by the European Centre vided a forum for fruitful discussions and exchanges with the speakers for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), was held in Stockholm, and participants who had the opportunity to share their 2009 influenza Sweden, on 11 December 2009. Topics addressed during the one-day (H1N1) pandemic experiences. Jason Gale, a leading journalist who conference included implementation of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) covered the 2009 pandemic for Bloomberg, allowed the participants pandemic vaccination and strategies for measles elimination in to ‘step inside his world’ to better understand how journalists work. Europe. The conference was webcasted live, thus allowing for a broad Professor Thomas Abraham of Hong-Kong University, who has been a international audience to follow the presentations and participate in Communications Advisor to WHO’s Director General of Communications discussions. The video stream of Eurovaccine 2009, as well as the during the 2009 pandemic, presented the theory behind crisis com- posters presented during the conference’s virtual poster session, will munication and the lesson learnt from the pandemic. Two additional be available on-demand for a period of less than six months after the speakers—Anders Bylund, Head of the international PR company conference. Eurovaccine 2009 focused on vaccination programmes, Burson-Marsteller’s European Crisis Practice and Ryszard Solski, an providing a platform for information and practice exchange between experienced PR professionals in Poland—complemented the workshop professionals working in the fields of regulation, policy, implementa- with theoretical and practical presentations. tion, monitoring and evaluation of immunisation activities in European countries.

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