ECDC will provide the Member States of the EU with EUR 77 million

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has allocated more than € 77 million to 24 Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area to strengthen the genome sequencing infrastructure and RT-PCR testing. The immediate goal is to strengthen countries' capacities for early detection and better monitoring of new and known SARS-CoV-2 variants, the ECDC said in a press release on Friday. With its initiative, the ECDC is responding to the European Commission's request to carry out several activities within the so-called "HERA incubator", the aim of which is to quickly identify SARS-CoV-2 variants throughout the EU. The support provided is based on the individual needs of each country, which are described in the applications submitted by their public health authorities. 90 percent of the activities are funded by ECDC, while the remaining 10 percent will have to be provided by states. Projects will start in September or October 2021 and last until September 30, 2022. ECDC continues to provide European Economic Area Member States and neighboring countries with access to external whole genome sequencing services for SARS-CoV-2 samples, with more than 65,000 samples from 13 countries processed from February to August 2021. It also implements a program to support cross-border capacity building focused on the training of laboratories. Whole genome sequencing maps the unique genetic plans of different strains of the virus and as such is an essential tool for making informed public health decisions. It is key to identifying variants as well as monitoring their spread in communities and populations. RT-PCR is a laboratory method for detecting the presence of specific genetic material in any pathogen, including a virus.