The 2015 meeting of the Joint ECDC/WHO Surveillance Network for Tuberculosis was held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 26-27 May 2015. The meeting was organised jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO/Europe for TB surveillance experts from WHO European region including European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) Member States (MSs). The participants included 47 nominated contact points for TB surveillance from 42 countries, as well as experts from ECDC and WHO/Europe, WHO headquarters and country offices. In addition, experts from seven EU Enlargement Countries and from the KNCV TB Foundation (the Netherlands) attended the meeting as observers.
This meeting brought together TB experts from countries belonging to the WHO European Region and surveillance experts from EU/EEA countries to discuss the common goals of eliminating TB in Europe.
Location:Bratislava, Slovakia
Organized by:ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe
At this technical meeting, tuberculosis experts from high-incidence countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania) discussed ways in which ECDC can support with development and implementation of country strategies to prevent and control the disease.
Every other year EU/EEA representatives meet to discuss the specifics of surveillance in the EU/EEA. The aim is to discuss TB epidemiology and progress towards elimination in Europe.
Cases are reported all year round, with an increase between April and July, and a peak in May. Small outbreaks still occur in Europe where areas with affected sheep and goat herds are considered at risk.