ECDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness - Health services

This section addresses prevention and treatment services delivered to individuals by the Member States’ health sector. This includes provision of vaccines and other countermeasures to healthcare workers and the general public. In addition, physical and mental health treatment for those affected by mass-casualty or long-running incidents may be required. The medical countermeasures, supplies and equipment needed to provide these services are considered capacities, but procuring, stockpiling, and distributing them on an emergency basis during a crisis are critical capabilities, and thus included in this section. The most effective and efficient means for delivering health services to individuals – whether preventive or therapeutic – will depend on the nature of the threat and on the way that public and private sector is organised, as the organisation of the health sector varies markedly among Member States. Thus, these capabilities focus on what must be accomplished during an event, rather than on how to accomplish it.