Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU) - EPIET

Contact person

maria-louise [dot] borggov [dot] mt (Maria Louise Borg), Supervisor
Tel. +356 23266122

Description of the institute

The Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU) within the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate is the national surveillance centre for communicable diseases in Malta.  The Directorate falls under the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing. 

The main aim of the unit is "to study episodes and trends of disease with a view to prevention and control." 

The main objectives of the IDCU are:

• To undertake surveillance of communicable diseases in Malta.
• To improve reporting of notifiable diseases by creating methods that would encourage early notification.
• To disseminate relevant, accurate and timely information.
• To undertake responsibility for the control of infection through timely investigation and management of incidents of communicable diseases.
• To undertake epidemiological research.
• To provide advice on communicable diseases to health professionals and the general public.
• To contribute to training in communicable disease control.

Set-up and main functions

The unit has:

• four public health consultants (medical doctors specialist in public health), 
• one public health specialist and one medical doctor, 
• 1-2 public health trainees that rotate every 6 months, 
• four nurses (2 part-time) and 
• an EU project manager, who is an EPIET alumna. 

The supervisor and co-supervisor are national focal points for all diseases. 

The unit currently participates in the following EU projects: Joint Action United4Surveillance, EU-Wish, EU4Health Direct Grant, VEBIs/e-SURE (SARI surveillance). Further information

Surveillance of communicable diseases

IDCU is responsible for surveillance of communicable diseases and collects data on 73 statutory notifiable communicable diseases by routine reporting from general practitioners, hospitals and medical diagnostic laboratories. In addition to notifiable disease surveillance, there is a semi-automated weekly SARI and GI surveillance system and a ILI GP sentinel surveillance system in place. Furthermore, the STI clinic report anonymised data online. All cases are registered in the National Electronic Disease Surveillance system. Schools, nurseries and other institutions such as long-term care facilities report cases either via telephone or e-mail. Wastewater surveillance of COVID-19, influenza and RSV has been implemented as part of the EU-Wish project. 

The unit issues monthly, quarterly and annual reports.

Investigation and control of communicable disease

Public Health Medical doctors at IDCU investigate all reported cases of infectious diseases. Any necessary environmental action is coordinated through health inspectors the Food and Safety Authority. The Chest Unit, within the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate is responsible for data collection in cases of tuberculosis. It also carries out public health preventive measures related to tuberculosis including screening. Outbreak control teams are set up to investigate and follow up outbreaks for timely control measures to be taken.

The IDCU is the only unit that investigates outbreaks in Malta. Fellows can be involved in local investigations of communicable disease cases. During the last two years, IDCU investigated approximately 20 large size outbreaks, and fellows have conducted 1-2 analytical studies during those outbreak investigations. 

Epidemiological research

Research is carried out in communicable diseases. It includes analytical studies such as cohort and case-control studies and descriptive studies such as cross-sectional studies.

Teaching and training in communicable disease epidemiology

Five of the unit's staff have Masters Degrees in Public Health Medicine and one has a Ph.D. in communicable disease epidemiology. One member of staff also underwent the EPIET Programme (Cohort 2011). The unit is involved in courses and modules of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the University of Malta including MSc in Public Health Malta and training targeting Allied Health professionals (occupational therapists and physiotherapists). Other teaching involved includes Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for Public Health professionals amongst others.

Website maintenance

The IDCU has a website which contains information on communicable diseases including statistics, reports, leaflets and general information.

Visit the website

Training opportunities

• Surveillance: There are opportunities for evaluation of existing surveillance systems and how to improve them.
• Outbreak investigations: Participation in outbreak investigation including epidemiological investigation.
• Research projects: There are a number of opportunities to undertake research projects including case control studies, cross sectional, etc.

Training supervision

Maria Louise Borg (COHORT 2011) is the primary EPIET supervisor. For specific tasks and assignments, the fellow will be supervised by the appropriate consultant for the particular project.

Language requirements

English language will be required.

Training history

The IDCU has been an EPIET training site since 2016 and has hosted four EU-track EPIET fellows since then, namely, Alaistair Donachie (C2016), Raquel Medialdea Carrera (C2018), Joaquin Baruch (C2020), and Ariana Wijermans (C2022). The current fellow, Norman Galea (C2024), is the first MS-track fellow in Malta.

Two Maltese alumni completed EPIET abroad, namely Gianfranco Spiteri who trained in Northern Ireland (C2004, currently working at ECDC) and Maria Louise Borg who trained in Bristol, UK (C2011). Maria is the primary EPIET supervisor.

The Pathology Department within the state hospital (Mater Dei hospital) has been recently approved as a EUPHEM training site and will be hosting the first EUPHEM in 2026.