CYPRUS EMPOWERED SURVEILLANCE MECHANISM

Cyprus, situated in the southeastern Mediterranean and a member of the EU, handled COVID-19 relatively well. Despite strained hospitals, the country managed to keep per capita deaths low. Yet, its surveillance and public health mechanisms exhibit significant weaknesses, hindering effective responses to future crises. Fragmented surveillance, the absence of a One Health approach, the need for digitalization, and understaffing of surveillance units necessitate urgent actions. The EU4Health grant offers Cyprus a chance to address these issues and revamp its systems, positioning it as a competent player regionally and globally in the effective management of public health emergencies. The CYPRUS EMPOWERED SURVEILLANCE MECHANISM (CY-ESM) aims to enhance infrastructure, capacity, and piloting. It plans to assess current structures and mechanisms, formulate modern strategies aligned with EU standards, and strengthen surveillance for all notifiable diseases. Full digitalization is envisioned, enabling online reporting, timely visualizations, and advanced analytics. Furthermore, an integrated One Health system will connect health and agriculture ministries. These initiatives rely on building a critical mass of experts, including epidemiologists, data analysts, computer scientists, communication specialists, etc., who will undergo comprehensive training, and tackle the various weaknesses. Urgent action is vital to modernize Cyprus's surveillance, supporting collective efforts to detect and respond to future health threats effectively.