SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY
IN 2008

   National Centre for Epidemiology (NCE) is the epidemiological methodology centre of the country and national institute of National Public Health and Medical Officers Service (NPHMOS).
   For 12 years, for keeping the health of population NCE has the following basic tasks: monitoring of infectious diseases with public health significance, epidemics, and health care related infections (collection and analysis of morbidity and mortality data), determination, use and control of efficient methods serving prevention and control, examinations of microbiology and immune biological products.
   Regarding its professional area the Centre performs activities in professional-methodological guidance, research, education, further training, epidemiological and microbiological surveillance, international data basis. NCE identifies, evaluates and informs about the actual and newly emerging threats. Vaccination programmes are elaborated, recommendations are made, and national vaccination activity is controlled by the Institute. NCE operates the International Travel Medicine and Vaccination Centre and the National Drug Focal Point as the member of REITOX network.
   The Centre operates reference epidemiological and BSL3-4 laboratories, sampling is done in suspected cases of dangerous pathogens suitable for bioterrorism, and microbiological examinations are performed. 
   National strain bank and typing reference sera bank are maintained. 
   NCE is the Hungarian contact point, competent body of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and member of European Early Warning and Rapid Response System, contact point of WHO International Health Regulation. Within the frame of laboratory activities the Centre has international relation with the laboratories of WHO, European Union and other significant institutes. NCE provides data on infectious diseases and pathogens for national and international organizations.
   This summary gives information without the claim of completeness about how these tasks were completed in year 2008. As the first ten years of its functioning was closed solemnly, NCE has replied the question of how will it be kept on with the improvement of vaccination system, widening of microbiological diagnostics, monitoring of drug situation and increased efforts for programmes to prevent the further spread of antibiotic resistance.
   As we have proved earlier, NCE is a task-oriented creative community.
   Our staff members had to hold out every day of the year giving the very best of their professional knowledge and resources to fulfil higher and wider demands without the increase in staff and resources.
   Thanking this to all colleagues, I am pleased to present the summary of our activities, results in year 2008 to them and all inquirers.

dr. Márta Melles
Director-General