The Polish National Early Warning and Response System (PNEWRS) is a modern platform for rapid communication and information exchange between stakeholders from different sectors (such as the Sanitary, Veterinary, and Environmental Protection Inspectorates) involved in the response to public health threats.
The aim of the platform is to enable a rapid and coordinated response to public health threats in Poland and comprehensive management of crisis events related to infectious diseases within a single system. This will improve the speed and effectiveness of actions taken in response to emerging public health threats.
The new system is being developed primarily to support the State Sanitary Inspectorate in the carrying out tasks aimed at preventing and combating infectious diseases. It will be integrated with the national infectious diseases registry – EpiBaza. It will also be possible to exchange information with the European Early Warning and Response System (EWRS), as well as the EpiPulse portal, which collects data on infectious diseases within the European Union (EU).
The PNEWRS project entitled “Improving and strengthening national surveillance systems by implementation of IT and training solutions for All Hazards Early Warning” will enable the implementation of modern IT solutions in the State Sanitary Inspection allowing for the early identification of broadly understood public health threats (All Hazards Early Warning) throughout Poland. The project will develop and implement the Polish National EWRS System (PNEWRS). Additionally, specialist training in the field of epidemiological surveillance for employees of the State Sanitary Inspection is planned.
The project is co-funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Health.
The project is planned to be implemented in the years 2025-2028, and its estimated total eligible cost is 3 099 928,55 EUR, of which 2 479 942,84 EUR is European Union (EU) funding and 619 985,71 EUR is the national contribution.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
The overall objective of the PNEWRS project is to strengthen the national epidemiological surveillance system, in line with the new EU legal framework for cross-border health threats.
As part of the project implementation, the infrastructure of key components of the national surveillance system will be developed, which will enhance the effectiveness and speed of response to public health threats in Poland, especially regarding infectious diseases.
This objective will be achieved by:
- Launch of the PNEWRS platform, which will enable rapid exchange of information between institutions responsible for infectious disease surveillance in Poland, in particular those posing a threat to public health.
- Integration of the national infectious diseases registry (EpiBaza) with other health data sources, which will allow for more comprehensive surveillance of infectious diseases.
- Enabling real-time monitoring of epidemiological indicators and early detection of warning signals.
- Development of competences of the staff of the State Sanitary Inspectorate through training in modern epidemiological surveillance methods, in line with ECDC standards.
- Development of a model Regional Preparedness and Response Action Plan in the event of an epidemic.
The description of the main activities planned within the project is presented in the “Project Work Packages” tab.
The PNEWRS project includes five work packages (WP1–WP5), the first of which (WP1) focuses on management and promotion. The activities of WP2–WP5 implement the key goals and assumptions of the project, having direct impact on its final recipients.
WP2.
Integration of the national infectious diseases registry (EpiBaza) with existing health data sources, resulting in more comprehensive infectious disease surveillance. Main tasks include:
- Automation of doctors’ reports of suspected or diagnosed infectious disease cases to EpiBaza after their detection.
- Enabling electronic reporting of diagnostic test results from clinical laboratories to EpiBaza.
- Integration of data on deaths and their causes with the EpiBaza registry.
- Analysis of the legal framework and gaps in current solutions regarding infectious disease data.
WP3.
Expansion of the national epidemiological surveillance infrastructure to enable real-time monitoring of epidemiological indicators, early detection of signals, and rapid exchange of information on potential public health threats. Main tasks include:
- Launch of the PNEWRS platform, which will enable rapid communication and information exchange between institutions responsible for infectious disease surveillance, in particular those posing a threat to public health in Poland.
- Implementation of tools for automatic outbreak detection, developed by JA UNITED4Surveillance, in the national infectious diseases registry (EpiBaza), and adding dynamic reports enabling real-time monitoring of epidemiological indicators.
WP4.
Nationwide training for the State Sanitary Inspectorate. Main tasks include:
- Analysis of training needs, with particular emphasis on event-based surveillance.
- Development of new educational materials, taking into account the results of the JA UNITED4Surveillance project.
- Conducting stationary training in epidemiology for employees of the State Sanitary Inspectorate.
WP5.
Develop a model Regional Epidemic Preparedness and Response Action Plan. Main tasks include:
- Analysis of potential public health threats that may occur in the region, incorporating the context of event-based surveillance
- Risk assessment of identified threats in the reg
The PNEWRS project is implemented by the National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
The main target groups of the project are:
- Ministry of Health
- Chief Sanitary Inspectorate
- State Sanitary Inspection (voivodeship and district sanitary-epidemiological stations)
- National Institute of Public Health NIH – NRI
Supervision over the implementation of the PNEWRS project tasks is exercised by the Steering Committee, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. The Committee was established by a decision of the Director of the National Institute of Public Health NIH – NRI in Warsaw.
Members of the Steering Committee:
- Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Steering Committee, representing the National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute
- Representative of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate
- Representative of the Ministry of Health
The main results of the project (deliverables) will be made available on the project website progressively. We encourage you to visit the site regularly to stay informed about progress and new publications.
