Disease knows no borders. With migration, mixing populations and globalisation, genetic disorders, too, spread and blend easily. In each country where particular diseases emerge, national authorities deploy resources to track, treat and research common diseases.
This is helpful, and often very successful, but tends to duplicate efforts internationally many times over. Moreover, researchers working in one country may not be in touch with those in another, where their knowledge could be invaluable.
European and Mediterranean specialists working on the ITHANET project have increased coordination of their efforts and pooled their knowledge using e-Infrastructures, like different communication tools, databases, grids and web portals. This type of knowledge sharing is fertile ground for enriching the internet, but still remains one of the least explored and developed functions.
http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=article&ID=90819
