Public health indicators for the EU: the joint action for ECHIM (European Community Health Indicators & Monitoring).

Background: Public health policies aim to improve and maintain the health of citizens. Relevant data and indicators are needed for a health policy that is based on factual information. After 14 years of work (1998-2012), the multi-phase action on European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) has created a health monitoring and reporting system.

Health indicators in Europe: availability and data needs.

Background: The European Union (EU) lacks adequate capacity for public health monitoring. The creation of a stable European Health Information System would help Member States to carry out evidence-based health policy. Such a system would also benefit EU health priorities by providing European wide comparable information.

European community health monitoring: the EUPHIX-model.

Aims: On 20 June 2008, the EUPHIX website (www.euphix.org) was officially launched.

The ECHI project: health indicators for the European Community.

Background: Within the EU Health Monitoring Programme (HMP), the ECHI project has proposed a comprehensive list of 'European Community Health Indicators'.

Methods: In the design of the indicator set, a set of explicit criteria was applied. These included: i) be comprehensive and coherent, i.