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The Directorate of Health

Strengthening Infectious Disease Surveillance in Iceland

22nd October 2024

Starting January 1, 2025, Iceland’s Directorate of Health, under the responsibility of the Chief Epidemiologist, will begin enhancing its digital systems and databases for communicable disease prevention, thanks to a substantial grant from the European Union (EU).

Mynd með frétt. Evrópustyrkur

The Grant

The project, supported by the EU’s Health Programme (EU4Health), will receive over ISK 470 million (approximately EUR 3.2 million). This funding highlights the EU's strong commitment to improving cross-border health protection in the coming years. A significant portion of the funds will go towards hiring external technical sub-contractors in Iceland, while the Directorate of Health will also contribute by providing staff to certain tasks.

Mynd European Commission

EU4H-2023-DGA-MS3-IBA: improving and strengthening national surveillance systems

The primary goal of the grant is to strengthen Iceland’s communicable disease surveillance systems, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. By reinforcing these systems, Iceland aims to enhance its preparedness and response capabilities while improving collaboration in disease monitoring across the EU/EEA region.

Key Actions

The project involves several initiatives to upgrade the digital infrastructure supporting communicable disease surveillance. Key areas of focus include:

  • Enhancing the Communicable Diseases Registry: Upgrading the database for efficient data collection and processing.

  • Developing a Screening System: Creating a system to monitor various pathogens, especially respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza, during outbreaks.

  • Improving Database Interconnectivity: Establishing links between databases to facilitate comprehensive surveillance, including for severe infections.

  • Streamlining Clinical Data Submission: Implementing a system within the electronic health record that allows doctors to efficiently submit clinical data for legally notifiable diseases.

  • Building a Contact Tracing Database: Creating a robust system for contact tracing during outbreaks when necessary.

  • Enhancing Data Visualization: Developing an improved digital interface for near real-time display of disease surveillance data.

The Goal

These initiatives aim to modernize Iceland’s disease surveillance infrastructure, making the country better equipped to monitor, prepare for, respond to, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Ultimately, this will lead to more effective public health protection both within Iceland and in coordination with the broader EU/EEA region.

The Chief Epidemiologist