Together with the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), their umbrella organisation (GGD GHOR Nederland), medical professional organisations in the Netherlands and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), RIVM is responsible for substantive medical policy on infectious disease control. The GGDs are responsible for implementing infectious disease control at the regional level. RIVM supports the GGDs in these efforts and is responsible at the national level.
To be better prepared for future major outbreaks of infectious diseases and their spread, RIVM is working hard on:
- Improving the expertise network for designated points of entry (ports and airports);
- Improving/developing source and contact tracing;
- Preparing research into new pathogens;
- Improving the generic programme organisation and guidelines;
- Improving collaboration for the purpose of crisis communication;
- Ensuring early detection of potential risks.
For example, working with Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), a new expertise network has been established for points of entry that play a key role in ports and airports of arrival in the Netherlands. The network develops and practices scenarios and exchanges best practices in outbreak preparation.
For source and contact tracing, RIVM is conducting literature reviews to improve data supply and development of guidelines. In 2025, the National Coordination Centre for Communicable Diseases Control (LCI) will work with the GGDs and other parties involved in source and contact tracing to establish a more tangible vision for a more efficient and effective source and contact tracing process and to formally adopt that process.
A different example of how we are enhancing our readiness in terms of medical expertise is that we are making preparations to study the characteristics of emergent pathogens. We are working on a programme organisation and guidelines and preparing protocols that will enable us to conduct swift, high-quality research, for example among the first 100 patients (first few X, or FFX) who are infected with a pathogen that has outbreak potential. Read more under ‘Research readiness’.
Together with the GGDs, RIVM has evaluated the LCI generic programme organisation and guidelines, which are important in preparing for large-scale infectious disease control in the Netherlands. In this programme organisation and guidelines, LCI has incorporated the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as national and international best practices and the outcomes of other pandemic preparedness procedures.
By establishing a network of GGD and RIVM crisis communication advisors, the lines of communication have been made even shorter, enabling a swift exchange of information. This will benefit rapid and accurate communication.
One final example is the work done on the early detection of potential risks. This is because proper infectious disease control requires that signals of an outbreak are identified and assessed quickly: what is happening and what are the risks? For this reason, RIVM has developed an assessment matrix for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. This matrix helps identify the risks in a systematic and structured manner.
Strengthening supra-regional collaboration
In 2025, RIVM will continue its activities aimed at the supra-regional collaboration structure. Public health professionals will have greater involvement in control policy, ensuring alignment with regional practices at the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs). RIVM will organise monthly substantive sessions to update GGDs on topics that are important for infectious disease control. In 2025, RIVM will also continue developing regional and supra-regional monitoring and surveillance to keep them in line with national surveillance. In this regard, agreements on data quality and uniformity are essential for reliable data exchange.
Monitoring pandemic preparedness
RIVM monitors the progress of the work and performs or commissions a compliance assessment to ensure that the Netherlands complies with the criteria of the WHO International Health Regulations (WHO-IHR). For this compliance check, RIVM uses:
- the annual self-assessment sent to the WHO in the context of the IHR States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR);
- he EU (European Union ) regulatory framework (EU Serious Cross Border Threats to Health).
International reviews are part of this process. Using the outcomes, RIVM fine-tunes its preparedness plans in consultation with the chain partners and government ministries involved.
Collaboration with LFI
Lastly, RIVM is concluding process agreements with the newly established National Functionality for Upscaling Infectious Disease Control (LFI). This ensures proper alignment of LFI activities with RIVM’s upscaling system.