Annual report of the Director – 2015

In its 10th anniversary year, ECDC continued the mission to West Africa, begun in 2014, to assist in the international response to the Ebola epidemic. By the time the mission officially ended in October 2015, 89 experts had been mobilised and deployed to the region by the Centre.

As part of its routine epidemic intelligence activities, ECDC has also been monitoring the spread of Zika virus disease, leading, in December, to the first rapid risk assessment on the potential association with microcephaly and Guillain–Barré syndrome. This was one of the 42 rapid risk assessments published in 2015.

Providing support to the European Commission and EU Member States remained a priority during the year, with the development of practical tools giving direct access to information and data to health professionals and policymakers in Europe (such as the Atlas of Communicable Diseases, situation maps for vectors and the Burden of Communicable Disease tool).

The report provides detailed information on the full range of ECDC’s activities, its organisational and administrative structures, and its work plan.