Executive summary
Background
This assessment is based on the 16 capacities included in the template to be used by countries when providing information on their prevention, preparedness and response planning in accordance with Article 7 of the SCBTH regulation. The aim of the PHEPA is to improve prevention, preparedness and response planning in EU/EEA countries through the implementation of evidence-based recommendations following individual country assessments. Within nine months of the receipt of the ECDC assessment report, if applicable, countries are requested to provide an action plan addressing the proposed recommendations of the assessment. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the second assessment in the three-year programme, conducted in Finland. This involved a desk review of relevant documents, followed by a five-day mission conducted from 10 to 14 June 2024. As per the established assessment process, of the 16 capacities included in the Article 7 (SCBTH) self-assessment template, the ECDC-led team assessed five capacities in depth and validated Finland’s responses to the Article 7 questions for the remaining capacities. The five capacities assessed in depth were Capacity 3 – Laboratory; Capacity 4 – Surveillance; Capacity 6 – Health emergency management; Capacity 10 – Zoonotic diseases and threats of environmental origin, including those due to the climate; and Capacity 12 – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).