1. ECDC Preparedness Work
How ECDC is supporting Commission and the Member States
Prof. Karl Ekdahl
Head of Public Health Capacity and Communication Unit, ECDC

2. Emergency preparedness is a programme of long-term
activities whose goals are to strengthen the overall capacity
and capability of a country or a community to manage
efficiently all types of emergencies and bring about an orderly
transition from relief through recovery, and back to sustained
development. It requires that emergency plans be developed,
personnel at all levels and in all sectors be trained, and
communities at risk be educated, and that these measures be
monitored and evaluated regularly.
UN Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

3. Preparedness lessons from
the H1N1 pandemic
• Develop core capacities as per IHR
• Flexible planning assumptions
• Improve sharing of best practices
• Ensure cross-sectoral response
• Strengthen the multi-sectoral approach
• Transparency and governance
• Consider legislative changes that may
be needed
• Business continuity planning guidance
for different sectors
lessons from 2009 H1N1- Council recommendations

4. Decision 1082/2013/EU
Article 4
Member States and the Commission shall consult each other (…) with a
view to coordinating their efforts to develop, strengthen and maintain
their capacities for the monitoring, early warning and assessment of, and
response to, serious cross-border threats to health.
That consultation shall be aimed at:
(a) sharing best practice and experience in preparedness and response
planning;
(b) promoting the interoperability of national preparedness planning;
(c) addressing the intersectoral dimension of preparedness and response
planning at Union level; and
(d) supporting the implementation of core capacity (…) of the IHR.

5. IHR Core Capacities Component of core capacity
1: National legislation,
policy and financing
National legislation and policy
Financing
2: Coordination and NFP
communications
IHR coordination, communication and advocacy
3: Surveillance Indicator based surveillance
Event based surveillance
4: Response Rapid response capacity
Case management
Infection control
Disinfection, decontamination and vector control
5: Preparedness Public health emergency preparedness and response
Risk and resource management for IHR preparedness
6: Risk communication Policy and procedures for public communications
7: Human resources Human resource capacity
8: Laboratory Policy and coordination of laboratory services
Laboratory diagnostic and confirmation capacity
Specimen collection and transport

6. Generic vs. Specific Preparedness
80%
15%
5%
Response elements
in emergencies
Generic
Hazard-specific
Event specific
WHO e-atlas of disaster risk for the European Region
All-hazard approach:
1. common elements in
responses
2. standardized
management
3. greater capacity to
address events.

7. Cycle of preparedness activities
1. Identify
risks
2. Prioritise
top risks
3. Understand
prioritised risks
in detail
4. Identify
preparedness
options
5. Design
preparedness
strategies
6. Implement
preparedness
strategies
7. Monitor
progress
and update
strategy
Adapted from Kunreuther, Michel-Kerjan and Useem, 2013, Corporate Strategies for Managing Catastrophic Risks in the S&P 500:
Linking Intuitive and Deliverative Thinking. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

8. Public Health Emergency Preparedness infrastructure
Workforce
capacity &
competency
Capacity
building
Risk/Crisis
Communication
Legislation &
policies
Scientific research
& advice
Information
platforms &
data systems
Epidemic
Intelligence &
investigationSurveillance
Laboratory
practice
Organisational &
system
capacity
Public Health
Response
Basic
Infrastructure
Essential
capacities
Core support
functions

9. Public Health Emergency Preparedness infrastructure
How does ECDC work with countries?
Workforce
capacity &
competency
Capacity
building
Risk/Crisis
Communication
Legislation &
policies
Scientific research
& advice
Information
platforms &
data systems
Epidemic
Intelligence &
investigationSurveillance
Laboratory
practice
Organisational &
system
capacity
Public Health
Response
Basic
Infrastructure
Essential
capacities
Core support
functions

10. SurveillanceEarly warningPreparedness
• EU Surveillance
• Support to Risk
Management
• Outbreak
Communication
• Epidemic Intelligence
• Risk Monitoring
• Rapid Alert
• Risk Assessment
• Public Communication
•National risk
assessments >
preparedness priorities
•Preparedness plans
•Inter-operability of
plans
•Intersectoral
collaboration
•Training & Exercising
•Crisis management
procedures
•Continuity of
operations plans
Outbreak
Response
Assistance
RecoveryResponsePreparedness
Recovery
ECDC contribution to health security
(Classical PPRR model)
• Guidance on
rehabilitation/
decontamination
• Crisis Mgt and
Response Evaluation
• Lessons identified >
case studies
• Update
detection/response
protocols
• Outbreak
investigation
• Mobilisation of
networks
• Deployment of OAT
Prevention
•Scientific research and
guidance
•Health determinants
•Prevention guidance
(AMR, VPD)
•Risk communication
Prevention

11. ECDC Emergency Preparedness actions
and objectives 2014-2020
Health
Emergency
Preparedness
1. Identification
of good practice
2. Dissemination
of good practice
3. Capacity
strengthening
Literature review
Case studies
Development of
tools
Good practice
workshops
Training
Specific
capabilities
• Support countries in
improving their capacities
and plan activities for
public health emergency
preparedness;
• Foster interoperability in
planning for cross-border
health threats;
• Promote capabilities and
cooperation with other
sectors involved in
preventing and preparing
for cross-border health
threats;
• Ensure support for cross-
border health threats
among EU, enlargement
and ENP countries in the
Mediterranean basin.

12. Specific Case of Ebola
Preparedness
simultaneous with
Response

13. ECDC activities to support Ebola
preparedness
• Analyse EWRS surveys on MS preparedness
• Support national exercises
• Country visits
• Share technical resources through dedicated extranets
• Support to clinical network
• Training
• Tutorial on proper use of PPE
• Courses on planning for pre-hospital management of
suspected VHF patients

15. Planning and Preparedness
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
- Benjamin Franklin
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and
I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
- Abraham Lincoln
“Plans are of little importance, but planning
is essential.”
- Winston Churchill
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched
in the face.”
- Mike Tyson

16. Thank you for your attention !