2014, the focus of World Health day was on vector-borne diseases. World Health Day is a worldwide initiative celebrated every year on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.

​ECDC supports European Immunization Week (EIW) 2014, which is a regional initiative, led and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe  and implemented by Member States of the European Region.

​Each year on 5 May, the annual “SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands” global campaign is part of a major global effort led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to support healthcare workers in their efforts to improve hand hygiene in healthcare settings.

​On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of European Immunization Week, ECDC is releasing a new complement of data, tools, blogs and updates to support public health authorities in their work against vaccine preventable diseases.

​Every year, around 50 000 newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis B and C are reported across Europe but millions are unaware of their infection. Left untreated, hepatitis can cause irreversible liver damage. Hepatitis A is recognised as a re-emerging health threat in Europe.

​During the course of European Immunisation Week (EIW), 24 – 30 April 2016, ECDC is putting the spotlight on its resources in support of measles and rubella elimination. These range from disease surveillance and epidemic intelligence to communication tools and guides on awareness raising about the importance of vaccination, as well as the vaccination scheduler tool.

This year the WHO-lead initiative focuses on healthcare workers and the essential role they play in raising awareness about antibiotic resistance and making sure that antibiotics will also be effective in the future.​

​​Tuberculosis (TB) has become the world’s leading single infectious disease killer, an unenviable title previously held by HIV/AIDS. It is therefore more important than ever to join forces against TB to successfully reach the goal of ending TB by 2030.