The main activities conducted in Romania during the fourth year implementation of the of the Project “Surveillance and response to avian and pandemic influenza‟, funded by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were as following:
In the framework of the fourth year of Project "Surveillance and Response to Avian and Pandemic Influenza by National Health Authorities of Countries of South East Europe" in Serbia was conducted supervision of sentinel sites since March 2017 until August 2017. During this period were supervised IPH, sentinel Public Health Centers in districts and one sentinel hospital.
From 05 May to 14 June 2017 sentinel site visits were conducted on 14 ILI/ARI sentinel sites and 4 sentinel SARI sites in Macedonia. Site visits were organized by the Institute of Public Health (IPH). Each site was visited by a team of two experts involved in the sentinel surveillance (one person from epidemiology department and one person from virology laboratory).
On the 15.06.2017 in NCIPD, Sofia was held expert meeting on topic “Web based information system for reporting hospitalized cases of acute respiratory disease” within the fourth year of the project “Surveillance and Response to Avian and Pandemic Influenza”, funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and executed by “Southeast European Centre for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases”.
Before the start of influenza season 2016-2017 training sessions were organized and conducted by NIC and Institute of Public Health with the medical staff (pediatricians, infectologists, nurses and laboratory physicians of two health centers) regarding the specimen collection, storage and transport.
Data are collected throughout the year and during influenza season – from week 40 to week 20 - with a weekly frequency of reporting by these health facilities.
A round table focusing on the end of Influenza season 2016-2017, surveillance, virus characteristics and coordination of activities at all levels of health care system, took place at the Institute of Public Health of Kosovo*.
Participants were sentinel doctors, epidemiologists, infectiologists, primary and secondary health care workers.
During the meeting participants discussed about the epidemiological situation, the strengthens, the gaps and collaboration among all health sectors, as well as the role of health care workers in detecting and early management of cases.
At the Institute of Public Health of Kosovo* on July 2017 was held a meeting with sentinel doctors, epidemiologists, infectologists and veterinary specialists, aiming to update the strategy for Influenza Pandemic. This activity is organised in the framework of the fourth year of the project “Surveillance and Response to Avian and Pandemic Influenza”, funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Atlanta USA.
On the 30.06.2017 in Belchin Banya, Bulgaria was held the annual meeting of human and veterinarian experts on influenza preparedness within the project “Surveillance and Response to Avian and Pandemic Influenza”, funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and executed by “Southeast European Centre for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases”.
Two representatives of SECID Albania, Dr. Silvia Bino, Influenza Project General Coordinator and Ms. Ledia Agolli, Influenza Business Official conducted a Mission Trip to Belgrade, Serbia on 30 June 2017. During this visit took place various meetings:
Annual Influenza Surveillance Meeting was held from 20 to 22 June, in Stockholm, Sweden.
The meeting focused on epidemiological and virological aspects of influenza surveillance and other influenza-related topics, especially prevention and vaccination.