Dr Η. Kontoes from BEYOND Centre of Earth Observation Research and Satellite Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens, had the opportunity to present, on the 14th of October 2021, the Early Warning System for Mosquito-Borne Diseases(EYWA), a game changer in the domain of epidemics that was developed under the flag of EuroGEO Action Group, to the JRC’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) in the framework of Epidemics: Dynamics and Control (EPICO) project.
CAS brings together EU Science Hub - Joint Research Centre (JRC) and external scientists and researchers in a single unit, addresses specific cross disciplinary research topics with a longer term perspective on EU policy, promotes and develops research collaboration with top universities and institutes worldwide.
EPICO focuses on respiratory infectious diseases with pandemic potential (e.g. influenza, corona viruses) and emerging vector-borne diseases (e.g., Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, West Nile virus) that pose a major global health threat, aiming to develop a framework based on mathematical and statistical methods and on data derived from routine and on modern space surveillance systems. It studies aspects of spatiotemporal dynamics, seasonality, the One-Health approach, transmission modes, waning immunity, the immuno-epidemiology of the disease, early warning, and the assessment of pharmaceutical interventions that may inform public health decision makers.