2018 expert meeting on Drug-related infectious diseases (DRID)

Objectives

The overall objectives of the Drug-related infectious diseases expert meeting were to share latest developments on drug-related infectious diseases in Europe, and to identify as a network the steps needed to improve the production of public health oriented information at the European level. The specific objectives were to exchange information on the strategy for the elimination of viral hepatitis B&C with a focus on people who inject drugs (PWID), to present the testing initiative of the EMCDDA, to exchange on the latest outbreaks affecting drug users in Europe, to review the latest development on drug-related infectious diseases in European prisons and to provide an update on EU projects. The meeting was an opportunity to propose to grade the level of evidence of prevalence studies and to address the completeness of behavioural data.

Context

The DRID indicator is one of the five EMCDDA key epidemiological indicators that are used by the EMCDDA to report on trends and developments in the EU drug situation. The DRID network brings together national experts nominated by national focal points from 30 European countries (28 EU Member States, Norway, Turkey). Experts come from ministries of health, public health institutes, drugs agencies, universities (cf. list of participants).

Participants

Participants of the meeting were the DRID national experts from the European Union Member States, Norway, Turkey (excused), Georgia, Albania, Bosnia, FYROM, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Kazakhstan, expert guests from WHO, ECDC, Robert Koch Institute, Public Health England, University of Bristol, HepCare, DE AIDS-Hilfe and EMCDDA scientific unit.