OUTBREAKS OF DISEASE: CURRENT EUROPEAN REPORTING

摘要

This chapter has provided information on current notification and surveillance of human disease in The Netherlands and within Europe both at the country level and at the European Commission level. It is also evident that even in Europe there are national differences in reporting on outbreaks of human disease. Nevertheless, increasing amounts of information on outbreaks of human disease are being made available to the public either through the internet or in other ways. Insofar as the Protocol to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the implementation of the Convention is concerned, this chapter has shown that the importance of reporting of outbreaks of human disease to maintain public health is recognised both nationally and regionally within Europe. At the regional (EC) level, the importance of an integrated network for epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases has been recognised and is being introduced. There are immense potential benefits, such as lower costs, improved overviews, and earlier warning of diseases over a larger area, to be gained by all States through improved national, regional and international surveillance and reporting of disease outbreaks and the benefits from Article X measures to achieve this are evident. It is also apparent that unnecessary duplication of national, regional and international reporting systems should be avoided, as should the potential dangers of dual reporting channels in finalising the provisions in the Protocol relating to mandatory declarations.