The fifth meeting of the Hepatitis B and C Network aims to bring together experts from across the EU to discuss how Europe can improve its response to the epidemics of hepatitis B and C with a focus on surveillance, estimating prevalence, and the monitoring of response.
The 31st IUSTI (International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections) Europe Congress addressed the broad range of science and clinical practice in the field of sexually transmitted infections.
The aims of the meeting were to enable sharing of experiences and good practices between member states, review ECDC’s current programme of work and to help determine future priorities for surveillance, prevention and control of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) across Europe.
The Euro-GASP network carries out sentinel surveillance of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance in the EU/EEA and is strengthening capacity for gonococcal culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing through laboratory training and EQA schemes. In addition the network performs molecular typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
The European Network for STI Surveillance comprises the contact points for STI surveillance that are nominated by the competent bodies for surveillance in EU/EFTA, and contains both epidemiological and microbiological experts.
HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe is jointly coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, collecting data from all 53 countries in the European region.
This joint meeting of the networks on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV offered a platform for expert discussion among nominated ECDC contact points for STI and HIV on 8-9 March. On 10-11 March 2016, the European network for HIV/AIDS Surveillance brought together the nominated HIV/AIDS surveillance contact and focal points of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region.