 Countries:
Greece & Cyprus
Name
Greece & Cyprus Paediatric Surveillance Unit (GCPSU)
Year established
2001
Association
Hellenic Society of Paediatric Infectoius Diseases
The Hellenic Paediatric Society
Cyprus Paediatric Association
University of Athens
University of Thessalia
Population under 15 years
1.6 million
General information
Members of our PSU are the Cyprus Paediatric Association, the Ministry
of Health the First Paediatric Clinic of University of Athens, the Hellenic
Society of Paediatric Infectoius Diseases, the Hellenic Paediatric Society
and the University of Thessalia. In order to benefit from the experience
of the BPSU in the United Kingdom, two visits were organized: The 1st
in July 2001 to London, and the 2nd in April 2002 to York for the first
Conference of the International Paediatric Surveillance Units (INoPSU)
during which CGPSU was accepted as an associate member. The delegates
to both events were Drs. Maria Theodoridou and Christos Hadjichristodoulou.
The methodology and experience of the BPSU were presented to the members
of our PSU.
The Executive Committee worked on implementing a structure that would
support the reporting and the collection of the detailed questioner.
We found that the reporting system of the collected data with the green
card was not practical in Cyprus. Our system was based on the creation
of working groups in every town. These groups were responsible for the
collection of the epidemiological data by completing and forward the
appropriate forms to the Coordinator of the Unit.
Conditions studied
The 1st project of the CGPSU started in November 2001 and completed
in December 2003. The Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus sponsored
the project. The diseases, which were chosen for study, were Kawasaki Syndrome, West Syndrome, riketsiosis (only in Cyprus), pncytopenias
(only in Greece) and pertussis (only in Cyprus).
Studies currently under surveillance:
Congeital Toxoplasmosis, haemolytic uraemic syndrome.
Contact
Dr Christos Hadjichristodoulou,
Ass Preofessor of Epidemiology,
Dept of Hygiene and Epidemiology,
University of Thessaly,
4 Lapithon Street
41221,Larissa
Greece
Tel: +30 (2410) -565259 Fax: +30
(2410) -258197
Email: xhatzi@med.uth.gr
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