Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has been in a state of emergency – in such situations, as a high-ranking federal authority/department the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), is also asked to use its capabilities to provide assistance on the ground. Among other things, ZBS 7 at Robert Koch-Institut…
Context The Western Balkans (WB6: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) went through a particularly dramatic initial COVID-19 pandemic course, with inter alia high excess mortality (direct and indirect pandemic related deaths), low vaccination rates and stressed public healthcare systems. Consequently, the risk of future waves of…
Context The COVID-19 pandemic put a heavy strain on many public health systems, which had to deal with high numbers of severely ill people and deaths and with challenges regarding vaccination and medical supplies. The Balkan region was seriously affected by the pandemic, highlighting the importance of strengthening preparedness and…
Context The treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is complex and often requires patients to follow long and extensive treatment protocols. This is especially true of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), which is one of the most urgent problems facing TB control in Eastern Europe. As any interruption of treatment can jeopardise effective (DR-)…
Context Despite important progress in therapy and prevention, HIV and viral hepatitis are still a major health threat in the WHO European Region. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released action plans with specific targets to eliminate and control these diseases, which are being translated…
Context In recent years, there have been efforts to upscale HIV treatment and prevention in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including conducting studies among men who have sex with men (MSM). One commonly used method to recruit participants for these studies has been respondent-driven sampling. However, this…
Context In the globalised world of the 21st century, public health emergencies are of international concern, as health threats spread easily and rapidly across borders and continents. To ensure the world is prepared and able to respond to potential threats, the International Health Regulations (IHR) were launched in 2005 as…
Context The One Health approach acknowledges the interdependence and systematic linkages between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems and has gained significant recognition in recent years as an approach for tackling issues at the human-animal-environment interface. While evidence on the benefits of applying the One Health approach is accumulating,…
Context Genomic surveillance (GS) is crucial for monitoring known and newly emerging pathogens and for efficiently responding to infectious disease threats with epidemic or pandemic potential. It can transform public health action by providing a deeper understanding of pathogens and their evolution and circulation in the human population. Good GS…