There is a realistic chance that the Netherlands will once again face large-scale infectious disease outbreaks in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for better preparedness. Rapid upscaling and central coordination of medical-operational processes, such as testing, vaccination and source and contact tracing, are essential during such an outbreak. This crisis response organisation is part of the domain for Prevention Programmes and Public Health Upscaling.
Within the domain, we work closely with partners in the chain and prioritise the needs of the Dutch population. In doing so, the domain contributes to public health protection, focusing on prevention as well as crisis response.
Four centres
- The Centre for Management of Prevention Programmes and Crisis Management (RPO) directs the chain of prevention programmes and upscaling.
- The Centre for Digitalisation for Prevention Programmes and Crisis Management (DPO) focuses on information services and digitalisation.
- The Centre for Supply Chain for Prevention Programmes and Crisis Management (SPO) ensures efficient planning, procurement, storage and distribution.
- The Centre for Coordination & Services for Prevention Programmes and Crisis Management (CPO) is responsible for contact with individual citizens and the public, coordination of implementing the programmes, and information registration.
Each centre works to harmonise the infrastructure and processes of our programmes wherever possible, ensuring that they are and will remain future-proof. These four centres are jointly responsible for the prevention programmes and public health upscaling.
What does ‘LFI’ mean?
In Dutch, LFI is the abbreviation for Landelijke Functie Opschaling Infectieziektebestrijding, which stands for The National Functionality for Upscaling Infectious Disease Control. The LFI is a new national crisis response organisation. In the event of a class A infectious disease outbreak that requires control at a national level, the LFI will work with the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to control it. In addition, the LFI will be responsible for the central management of preparations for such large-scale outbreaks.
What will the LFI be doing?
The National Functionality for Upscaling Infectious Disease Control (LFI) will have two tasks:
- Upscaling and coordination
In the event of a large-scale class A infectious disease outbreak that requires a national control response, the LFI and the GGDs will scale up rapidly. Together, they will coordinate the medical-operational processes that are needed to control the outbreak. These include large-scale testing, vaccination and source and contact tracing, but also contact with the population. - Management of preparations
The LFI will be responsible for the central management of preparations for large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, so that these can be controlled immediately and as soon as required. These preparations will include contracts for immediate action in case of an alert, allowing for customer contact centres to be set up quickly, and joint education, training and exercises. We do not just want to control new outbreaks better – we also want to be better prepared.
Why has the LFI been set up?
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how significant the impact of a large-scale global infectious disease outbreak can be. It is therefore incumbent upon us to be better prepared in the event of a future pandemic. We need more personnel, take swifter action and be more flexible. It is vital that we are able to scale up (escalate) rapidly, that infectious disease control is managed centrally and that all parties involved work well together at all times. To achieve these aims, a new crisis response organisation has been set up: the National Functionality for Upscaling Infectious Disease Control (LFI).
When will the LFI be operational?
The design of the LFI was completed in August 2023 and it was launched on September 1st under the umbrella of RIVM. In the coming period, the various parts of the organisation will become operational one by one. Recruitment of personnel is in progress. At the same time, the capacity of the GGDs is being improved. This is because the GGDs in the regions are essential for the LFI in order to perform as intended. The overall objective is to ensure that joint action can be taken immediately when required.
The principles of infectious disease control are legally enshrined in the Public Health Act (Wpg). The LFI will be responsible for preparations for future class A infectious disease with national impact. In the event of such an epidemic, it will coordinate the medical-operational processes of the GGDs on behalf of the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). The division of the roles of the various parties will be clarified in an amendment to the Wpg that the Ministry of VWS is currently preparing.
This amendment to the Wpg is expected to enter info force in the middle of 2024. At that point, the responsibilities and competences of the LFI will have been formalised officially and the LFI will become fully operational. In the event of an earlier infectious disease outbreak that requires a national control response, the LFI will address this in cooperation with the GGDs.
How did the LFI come into being?
The cabinet took the decision to set up the LFI in July 2022. Since that time, the GGDs, the Netherlands Municipal Public Health Services and Medical Assistance in Accidents and Disasters, various RIVM departments and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport have worked closely together to determine how the new crisis response organisation will boost pandemic preparedness. The design of the LFI was completed in August 2023. Experts with varying backgrounds and levels of experience in the area of infectious disease control have helped with the design.
What will the LFI be doing when there is no pandemic?
We do not just want to control new large-scale infectious disease outbreaks better – we also want to be better prepared. To that end, one of the tasks of the LFI will be to manage preparations for large-scale outbreaks. Among other things, the LFI will enter into contracts for immediate action in case of an alert, so that organisations – such as suppliers of building materials and resources for vaccination locations – can take swift action in the event of a pandemic. It will also consider all eventualities in case of an outbreak well ahead of time, conduct exercises, and educate and train the necessary personnel. It will do this together with other organisations involved in infectious disease control.
How will the LFI prepare for a pandemic with an entirely different course from the COVID-19 pandemic?
By large-scale testing, vaccination and source and contact tracing. It is essential that the LFI prepares for any future pandemics. To do this, the LFI is preparing ‘implementation scenarios’. These take into account such factors as potential outbreaks of new infectious diseases and the shortage in the labour market. With the aid of these scenarios, it will continue to assess critically whether preparations are still up to date and sufficient. If this turns out not to be the case, the LFI will adapt its approach. That is why the LFI must be agile, able to improvise and innovate continuously. Through education, training and exercises, the LFI will evaluate whether its programme organisation and guidelines can be implemented in practice and make ongoing improvements to its working methods.