Pandemic preparedness is an important theme, in Europe and worldwide. To be prepared for a new global pandemic or health crisis, international collaboration is paramount. RIVM takes part in many forms of international collaboration. RIVM is involved in many different European partnership programmes and international research projects.
A few examples:
- RIVM is a partner in the BE READY consortium, . As mandated by the European Commission, the consortium has been working in recent years to establish a consolidated research and innovation framework that provides the foundation for the European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness. This partnership will commence in 2025 with the aim of supporting joint European research on pandemic preparedness.
- RIVM coordinates the EU4Health project United4Surveillance, aimed at strengthening European infectious disease surveillance. In the Netherlands, RIVM coordinates Surveillance4NL.
- RIVM is kept well-informed of developments at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which compiles and links European data on infectious diseases.
- RIVM keeps a close eye on developments at the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). This authority focuses on collecting information on medical countermeasures in a pandemic or health crisis, such as vaccines and face masks, and on European joint procurement of such resources.
- RIVM is also working on Strengthening One Health surveillance (Strong1H), a EU4Health project commissioned by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) to enhance One Health surveillance in animals and the environment. Strong1H focuses on avian flu and swine flu, and on developing a data sharing platform for these diseases in wild and domesticated animals, humans and the environment. RIVM coordinates Strong1H.
- RIVM is the designated national coordinator for One Health surveillance systems.
- In collaboration with the partners of the Med-Vet-Net Association (now called the European One Health Association or EOHA) and other European stakeholders, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and the European Economic Area (EEA), RIVM is working to strengthen the One Health structures in and between European countries and promote collaboration within the One Health Strengthening Europe (OHSE) initiative coordinated by RIVM. This European network of public and academic institutions with national reference functions in the medical and veterinarian domains promotes One Health research on zoonotic infectious diseases, among other topics. Its aim is to integrate expertise and harmonise methodologies to strengthen joint EU (European Union ) capacity in order to prevent, detect and control zoonoses.
- RIVM also takes part in international initiatives like Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE).
- For the World Health Organization (WHO), RIVM hosts a range of WHO Collaborating Centres on such areas as:
- RIVM is also involved in projects and activities aimed at preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiology and nuclear )) threats.
- RIVM also conducts international research into behaviour and perception.
- With the addition of the NLWGSHERA2 project, RIVM has expanded the SeqNeth network to an active network for full genome sequencing surveillance and outbreak response.