New ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner emphasises importance of restoring and reinforcing public trust in science after pandemic, in editorial for Eurosurveillance

In an editorial for the scientific journal Eurosurveillance, the incoming ECDC Director Dr Pamela Rendi Wagner outlined her vision for the European Union’s public health agency, highlighting the mounting challenges to public health after the COVID-19 pandemic, including war in Europe, climate change, and increasing social inequalities. She also emphasised the importance of reinforcing and restoring public trust in science.

Current challenges in public health

 “War, flooding and the effects of climate change are all catalysts for infectious diseases. And when people believe misinformation over science, medical advances we take for granted can be swiftly reversed,” writes Dr Rendi-Wagner, who took her position in June 2024.

According to Dr Rendi Wagner, COVID-19 starkly illustrated the stakes for public health, as countries mobilised resources and citizens to respond to the pandemic, implemented prevention and control measures, and communicated their efforts. Parts of the population, however, remained sceptical towards measures taken by governments, including vaccination.

Dr Rendi Wagner notes: “Reinforcing and restoring trust in science is one of the great challenges of our time, and it is particularly urgent in our field.“”

ECDC’s expanded role

In 2022, the European Commission launched the European Health Union, to improve preparedness and response to future health threats, which included an extended mandate for ECDC and new legislation to respond to serious cross-border public health threats.

Dr Rendi Wagner describes the actions ECDC is taking to implement its extended mandate to support countries with assessments and recommendations, as well as field response support and capacity-building through the newly-established EU Health Task Force. Important topics for ECDC include One Health, a new Foresight programme to anticipate long-term future developments and disruption, tackling antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections, and technological advancements in surveillance.

As part of its extended mandate, ECDC is not only working closely with EU countries, but also strengthening its cooperation with international health organisations and major centres for disease control worldwide.

On ECDC’s future role, Dr Rendi Wagner says: “We need collaborative leadership to invigorate and renew confidence in scientific evidence and independent public institutions. Citizens should know, value, and most importantly trust ECDC. In that way, we can make a greater contribution to protecting the population overall, and specifically the most vulnerable members of society – and directly impact people’s lives for the better.”