Course introduction

Preben Aavitsland

EpiTrain

• EpiTrain within the EpiNorth framework

• Second in a series of courses

• Advanced epidemiology

• For senior epidemiologists

• English only

• Financed by– European Commission

– Nordic Council of Ministers

– Participating institutes

Teaching methods

• Lectures– With time for questions

• Group work– Organised larger groups– Ad hoc, small groups during lectures

• Presentations of group work• Written material• Schedule somewhat flexible!

Faculty and administrationPreben Aavitsland, MDNorwegian Institute of Public Health

Hanne-Merete Eriksen, MSc, EpietNorwegian Institute of Public Health

Hilde Kløvstad, MPH, EpietNorwegian Institute of Public Health

Anne Mazick, MD, EpietState Serum Institute, Denmark

Isabelle Devaux, MDInstitute de Veille Sanitaire, France

Liselotte HögbergSwedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control

Germain ThinusEuropean Commission, Luxembourg.

Chryssa Grillis, MDHellenic Centre for Infectious Disease Control

Denis Coloumbier, MDEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and

Control (ECDC)

Tommi Asikainen, MScSwedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control

Stein Andresen, DDSNorwegian Institute of Public Health

Vibeke Gundersen, BANorwegian Institute of Public Health

Contents - 1

• Surveillance (P Aavitsland, D Coloumier, C Gryllis, H Eriksen, L Högberg, I Devaux, K Kutsar)

– Principles– Evaluation– Analysis– Epidemic intelligence– Electronic systems– Special issues

• Nosocomial infections, mass gatherings, antibiotic resistance, HIV, Estonia

– Group work

Contents - 2

• EU and WHO issues (G Thinus, D Coloumbier, P Aavitsland, I Devaux)

– General issues in EU– European Centre for Disease

Prevention and Control– International Health Regulations– EuroHIV

Contents - 3

• Randomized controlled trials (H Kløvstad)

– Design

– Conduct

• Influenza preparedness (D Coloumbier)

– Pandemic preparedness

– Surveillance

• Communication (P Aavitsland)

– Outbreak communication

Main group work - introduction

• Design a surveillance system for a given public health problem in a given setting– Based on a template for surveillance systems

• Five groups of six-seven people• Each group elects

– Chair– Secretary (must have/borrow PC)– Presenter (may be one of the two above)

• All participate in discussion– Hard, interesting and rewarding work– May divide in sub-groups for certain tasks

• Light facilitation by Preben, Hilde, Anne, Hanne, Isabelle, Liselotte, Denis, Chryssa

• Questions and problems also in plenary

Main group work – suggested timeline

• Monday (2 h)– Elect chair, secretary,

presenter– 1 Bakground

• Tuesday (2 h)– 2 Objective– 3 Design and operations

• Wednesday (3,5 h)– 3 Design and operations

• Thursday (3,5 h)– Revisit objectives– 4 Administrative issues

• Friday (2 h)– Finalise description of the

system– Revisit all issues– Prepare presentation

• Saturday (2,5 h)– Present and discuss

Topics for main group work

• A Surveillance of important public health events during the Roma fair in Budoprag

• B Surveillance of nosocomial infections in Sogavia

• C Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Larinia

• D Surveillance of influenza in Loland• E Surveillance of HIV infection in Slavinia

Why surveillance?

• Increasing importance

• Increasing demands on public health authorities

• New public health problems that need surveillance

• Harmonisation of methods

• New methods

• We all have systems that need improvement