International Disease Prevention and Control

-Automatic translation

Epidemics do not respect borders, so disease prevention must be international. Icelanders participate in the following international cooperation on disease prevention and control:

Nordic cooperation

Epidemiologists in the Nordic countries meet regularly at consultation meetings.

Organisations that deal with disease prevention and control in the Nordic countries

• Denmark: Statens Serum Institut

• Finland: Kansanterveyslaitos, KTL (National Public Health Institute)

• Norway: Folkehelseinstituttet

• Sweden: Smittskyddsinstitutet
  

European Union (EU) and EEA countries

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is in Stockholm. The Chief Epidemiologist is Iceland's representative in the organisation's professional advisory group, while a representative of the Ministry of Health is on the organisation's board.

ECDC's mission is to monitor infectious diseases in the EU/EEA and advise the Union member states on epidemic prevention measures. The organisation also plays a vital role in educating personnel on disease prevention and control.

Iceland is also a member of the EU Health Security Committee, which advises European countries on general preparedness for health risks caused by pathogens, toxins, and radioactive substances. The Chief Epidemiologist is a member of the committee on behalf of Iceland.

The International Health Regulation - IHR

At the World Health Organization meeting in May 2005, the revised International Health Regulation was approved and entered into force in Iceland on June 15, 2007. (International Health Regulation - IHR).

The regulation is an internationally binding treaty aiming to prevent the spread of dangerous infectious diseases and diseases caused by toxins and radioactive substances between countries.

The regulation stipulates a detailed inspection and a new ship sanitation control certificate instead of the so-called rat certificate. International ships will subsequently be able to be inspected in 23 approved ports in Iceland and receive the appropriate certification that must be renewed every six months.

The regulation contains various provisions relating to Icelandic laws and regulations on disease prevention and the health consequences of toxic and radioactive substances with international significance.

With an amendment to Act no. 19/1997 on Health Security and Communicable Disease, which entered into force in the spring of 2007, it is stipulated that the regulation binds Iceland and that the Chief Epidemiologist is Iceland's national contact point with the WHO regarding everything that concerns this regulation.

This new regulation replaces older regulations dating back to the 19th century, which dealt with rules to prevent the spread of diseases between countries by ship.

The International Health Regulation is an essential international regulatory framework for preparedness and response to pandemics of infectious diseases, e.g. influenza, SARS, etc.