The Health Protection Surveillance Centre is part of the IrishHealth Service Executive. HPSC was set up in 1998 and was formerly known as the National Disease Surveillance Centre.
Activities
HPSC produces annual epidemiological reports covering all areas of infectious and communicable disease surveillance carried out in Ireland. It is the designated Competent Body for liaison with European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and is Ireland's national World Health OrganizationInternational Health Regulations focal point for communicable diseases. HPSC monitors and reports on vaccine uptake and vaccine effectiveness, particularly in relation to the routine schedule of immunisation of babies and school age children. Monitoring of flu vaccine uptake in healthcare workers and the elderly is also carried out by HPSC. The centre coordinates the monitoring of drug-resistant microorganisms and other key measures in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections. HPSC participates in a number of ECDC-funded research projects including Streptococcus pneumoniae Invasive Disease network, IMOVE and a sentinel system to assess the burden of whooping cough - PERTINENT. HPSC is a key participant in the Vaccine European New Integrated Collaboration Effort project and contributes to the monitoring of uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine in European Union and European Economic Area. HPSC has been involved in behavioural surveillance among men who have sex with men e.g. Men who have Sex with Men Internet Survey Ireland and European Men who have sex with men Internet Survey 2010 and 2017.
Infectious disease notification
All medical practitioners, including clinical directors of diagnostic laboratories, are required to notify the Medical Officer of Health/Director of Public Health of certain diseases. They must in turn notify HPSC.
HPSC has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation since it was notified by WHO. The general public have been advised by the Irish Government to follow advice from the Health Service Executive and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre to protect their health. The surveillance of COVID-19 cases in Ireland has been integrated into the existing national Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting system since COVID-19 was made a notifiable disease on 20th February 2020.
''EPI Insight''
EPI Insight is a monthly newsletter published by HPSC. It was established in 1999 and describes itself as the surveillance report of HPSC. HPSC states Epi Insight's purpose is to improve the health of the Irish population by providing the best information on disease and aims to publish timely data on infectious diseases for use locally, regionally and nationally.
CIDR
HPSC developed Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting. CIDR is an information system to manage the surveillance and control of infectious and communicable diseases in Ireland.
