ECDC promotes the performance of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes, in which laboratories are sent simulated clinical specimens or bacterial isolates for testing by routine or reference laboratory methods. EQA schemes, or laboratory proficiency testing, provide information about the accuracy of different characterisation and typing methods as well as antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and the sensitivity of the methods in place to detect a certain pathogen or novel resistance patterns.
The XXVIII 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 and HIV.
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.
As one of the Maltese Presidency of the European Union of the Council initiatives, a technical meeting brought together leading experts on HIV prevention and control from across the EU to discuss how Europe could improve its response to HIV and achieve the targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals, the actions agreed at the UN High-Level meeting on HIV/AIDS and those adopted in the Global Health Sector Strategy at the World Health Assembly.
Location:St Julians, Malta
Organized by:ECDC; Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union
From 18 to 25 November 2016, almost 500 organisations all across Europe hosted activities to increase awareness of the benefits of HIV and hepatitis testing.
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.