About Project

In short

Duration: 24 months, from April 2023 to April 2025

EU-funded twinning project implemented by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) together with the Public Health Institute of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”. The Ministry of Health of Serbia is the Beneficiary Administration of the project.

EU donation: 1,000,000 euros

Strengthening and harmonizing the laboratory capacities of the Republic of Serbia’s network of institutes of public health (IPH) and national reference laboratories (NRL) ss the central element for improving the system of communicable disease surveillance and outbreak investigation across the country. Well performing health laboratories constitute an engine of the communicable disease surveillance and response machinery through providing timely, reliable and complete data to inform prompt, relevant, appropriate and effective prevention and control measures by the public health authorities, including close cooperation and communication with the epidemiology services.

The capacity building in the project will move in four directions: training; laboratory work strengthening; improving the IT communications infrastructure and data flow; and enhancing leadership, coordination, management and networking of all key frontline players of the communicable disease surveillance and response system through updated and harmonized guidelines, procedures and quality standards.

Successful implementation of the project will eventually contribute to:

1) strengthening of the Republic of Serbia’s institutional capacities and legislative framework for fulfilling the requirements of the EU membership in the area of public health,

2) effective participation of the Republic of Serbia in the EU communicable disease surveillance networks,

3) reduction of the risks of serious cross-border health threats, which is the overall objective of the project.