European meeting on generic and pandemic preparedness
20–21 November 2013, Bratislava, Slovakia
WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) held a meeting on generic and pandemic preparedness on 20–21 November 2013 in Bratislava, Slovakia attended by national experts from 39 countries.
The meeting addressed:
- the recently published WHO Pandemic influenza risk management interim guidance and its implications for Member States;
- implementation of the International Health Regulations; and
- the European Union Decision on serious crossborder threats to health, which entered into force on 6 November 2013.
The meeting provided a forum for Member States to discuss and provide input to WHO and ECDC on several current issues, such as the WHO draft severity assessment tool, monitoring and evaluation of preparedness at national level as well as synergies and interoperability of preparedness plans.
WHO and ECDC also provided updates on ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza A(H7N9) and Middle East respiratory coronavirus, and Member States had the opportunity to discuss how national preparedness for these two events may be strengthened.
