Preparedness planning for respiratory viruses in EU Member States : Three case studies on MERS preparedness in the EU Member States

Decision No 1082/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2013 on serious crossborder threats to health highlights the critical links that exist between different sectors of society, as well as between countries, and that need to function properly in the event of a public health emergency. For example, transport, communication and civil protection all rely, in a crisis situation, on a well-prepared public health system, which in turn is dependent on the good functioning of those other sectors. Likewise, the capacity of different countries to work effectively together is an essential component of a well-coordinated international public health response. This multi-sectorial and cross-border approach to pandemic preparedness is a relatively new policy area, however, and some uncertainties remain about what precisely it involves. While people in the health sector are very familiar with pandemic planning, the intersectoral and cross-border planning issues are not widely understood. As part of the process of increasing intersectoral and cross-border preparedness for serious cross-border public health threats, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has initiated a case study project to investigate the emergency preparedness status of the health and other sectors in EU Member States, with a particular focus on the determinants of cross-border and intersectoral interoperability. The work has focused on preparedness for a respiratory viral pandemic, with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) given as the specific disease of concern. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. As of 13 January 2015, 972 laboratory-confirmed cases and 394 deaths have been reported to the public health authorities worldwide. Three EU Member States participated in this case study – the United Kingdom (with a primary focus on England), Greece, and Spain. Greece and England have both had imported cases of MERS-CoV, with one case and four cases, respectively. This summary report describes the methodological approach applied in the case study, as well as a series of crosscutting findings that may also be of relevance to other EU Member States. Finally, some steps forward are suggested that could assist in implementation of EU Decision 1082/2013/EU. Chapter 5 presents an analysis of the strengths, risks, and vulnerabilities in preparedness capacities that were identified during interviews with expert key informants in each of the three countries