This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
UK creates global infection response team
A specialist team of health experts ready to respond to the outbreak of disease has been set up.
Run by Public Health England and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the team of scientists, academics and clinicians will be funded by £20 million from the government over five years, with the aims of being deployable anywhere around the world within 48 hours if a disease outbreak strikes.
When not responding to an immediate emergency, the rapid response team will assess future disease threats and train colleagues from home and abroad.
Nicola Blackwood, Public Health Minister, said that the Ebola crisis emphasised the necessity for such a team to be created.
She said: “Ebola shook the world and brave experts from the UK led the global response in Sierra Leone. The ability to deploy emergency support to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks within 48 hours will save lives, prevent further outbreaks and cement the UK's position as a leader in global health security.”
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: "Speed is key in tackling infectious disease and with this new capability we can now deploy specialists anywhere in the world within 48 hours, saving and protecting lives where an outbreak starts and helping to keep the UK safe at home."
At present, four of the eight core roles have been filled. The names announced are: Brian McCloskey, interim director of the Rapid support team, and director of Global Public Health at PHE; Hilary Bower, research fellow in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, part of the team; Dr Thomas Waite, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health England, part of the team; and Professor Jimmy Whitworth, professor of International Public House at LSHTM, interim deputy director and academic lead for the team.
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