CY-ESM project team members recently traveled to Utrecht, Netherlands, to participate in the Closing Meeting of the Joint Action UNITED4Surveillance on 20 and 21 May 2026. The event brought together public health professionals, policymakers, and surveillance experts from across Europe to review progress and outline the future of integrated infectious disease surveillance.
1.Aligning with Modernized European Frameworks
The meeting opened with a strategic overview from Ingrid Keller (Head of the Health Security Unit at DG SANTE), highlighting national system alignment under Regulation 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health. Over the two-day event, workshops focused on key thematic areas:
- Cross-sectoral collaboration
- Data sharing and interoperability
- Digital readiness
- Sustainability
2. Launching the Interactive Surveillance Roadmap
A central milestone of the meeting was the official launch of the interactive UNITED4Surveillance Roadmap. This digital tool acts as a strategic blueprint to help member states modernize their surveillance infrastructure and foster future cross-border collaboration.
Access the interactive UNITED4Surveillance Roadmap here.
“Our mission to strengthen infectious disease surveillance continues. This roadmap not only supports and showcases this mission, it also sparks future collaboration and unites countries to face future challenges together.” — Eelco Franz, Project Coordinator
3. Implementing “One Health” in Cyprus
The discussions in Utrecht confirmed that the core challenges faced by Cyprus—including governance sustainability and long-term financing—are shared across all EU member states.
Through the CY-ESM national consortium, we are actively turning these European frameworks into practical solutions to build a resilient, integrated One Health surveillance infrastructure. This effort unites four leading national institutions:
- Medical and Public Health Services (MPHS), Ministry of Health
- Medical School, University of Cyprus
- KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, University of Cyprus
- Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
CY-ESM is co-funded by the European Union through the EU4Health Programme.
