The Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb) at RIVM coordinates the control of infectious diseases in the Netherlands. The CIb monitors infectious diseases, assesses whether they pose a threat to public health, and advises about possible measures. This page presents the various aspects involved in this.
In the Netherlands, municipal authorities (the council of mayor and aldermen) are responsible for general efforts to control infectious diseases and related outbreaks. The Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) implement the actual control measures. In the event of national outbreaks of exceptional infectious diseases (Category A infectious diseases), the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport is responsible for policy. This is laid down in the Public Health Act (Wet Publieke Gezondheid - WPG).
The role of the Centre for Infectious Disease Control
During large-scale, nationwide outbreaks of disease, such as COVID-19 or Q fever, it is very important to adopt a coordinated approach based on the best medical insights currently available. In such situations, the Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb) takes the lead in national coordination efforts and arranges harmonisation of substantive expertise. In addition, the CIb supports the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) and other relevant organisations in their tasks. The CIb provides support in the form of advisory opinions, guidelines, laboratory diagnostics, research and surveillance, building bridges between scientific research, policy and actual practice.
The Centre for Infectious Disease Control consists of five divisions:
- National Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Surveillance
- Infectious Disease Research, Diagnostics and Laboratory Surveillance
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology
- Centre for Immunology of Infectious Disease and Vaccines
