http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7330/131/a
BMJ 2002;324:131 ( 19 January )
News
New agency created to fight infectious diseases
Alex Vass
A new national agency to combat the increasing threat from infectious
diseases and biological, chemical, and radiological hazards was announced
last week by the chief medical officer.
Professor Liam Donaldson said that the agency had been formed partly in
response to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and the recent
threat of bioterrorism when agencies were ill prepared to act together.
The new National Infection Control and Health Protection Agency, which will
cover only England, will supersede the Public Health Service
Laboratory Service, the National Radiological Protection Board, the Centre
for Applied Microbiology and Research, and the National Focus for
Chemical Incidents. "Very substantial" savings were likely
to be made through the amalgamation, which would be transferred
"from administration to service," Professor Donaldson said.
He added that having one agency would simplify the approach towards health
protection. Many of the techniques used to investigate outbreaks of
disease of biological, chemical, or radiological origin were similar
and the expertise of the combined agencies would be shared.
At the launch of the new strategy document for combating infectious disease,
Professor Donaldson said that the increase in long haul travel was
the cause of the rising trend in infections such as falciparum
malaria. Last year 1.5 million people visited Africa and nearly
two million went to Asia.
"Modern methods of travel can disperse infectious agents far and wide.
Bacteria and viruses recognise no international boundaries. Good
surveillance and rapid response are keys to protecting the public's
health," he said.
The new agency would have a key priority to develop a strong surveillance
system against new and emerging infections. Over the past
30 years the World Health Organization has identified at least
30 previously unknown infections. HIV was recognised in the
early 1980s and has already killed 22 million people worldwide. Variant
CJD, first recognised in 1996, has killed over 100 people.
The document also contained proposals to develop new vaccines and increase
the use of existing ones
notably,
the extension of pneumococcal vaccine to more people. There are,
however, no current plans to extend the use of the influenza vaccine.
Research and development funds from the existing bodies will pass to the NHS
director of research and development to create a research and
innovation fund for health protection. The new agency, together with
the Medical Research Council, will advise the NHS director of
research and development on a strategy for deploying the funds to
obtain maximum gain.
Commenting on why the government felt that one agency was better that four,
Professor Donaldson said: "There is no insinuation that we are
unhappy with the PHLS [Public Health Laboratory Service] but we need
to have it plugging in at the top level, to strengthen it and give
it new powers."
A spokesman from the National Radiological Protection Board said that the
board had been "taken by surprise" by the amalgamation. Proposals
for the new agency were discussed with them only a few days before
the announcement.
A full copy of the report, Getting Ahead of the Curve, is available
at www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/publications.htm
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BMJ:
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Website of the week: Fighting infectious diseases.
Rhona MacDonald
BMJ 2002 324: 178.
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