New International Health Regulations come into force

Global Public Health Surveillance under New International Health Regulations

The new International Health Regulations adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2005 (IHR 2005) represents a major development in the use of international law for public health purposes. One of the most important aspects of IHR 2005 is the establishment of a global surveillance system for public health emergencies of international concern. This article assesses the surveillance system in I...

The New International Health Regulations and the Federalism Dilemma

I n the aftermath of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (Figure 1) and in anticipation of avian fl u, the international health community has recognized that pandemic planning and response is an inherently multigovernmental concern. The ability of pathogens to cross borders and rapidly spread around the globe requires highly coordinated public health responses that involve the cooperation ...

The new International Health Regulations: an historic development for international law and public health.

Strengthening global health security by embedding the International Health Regulations requirements into national health systems

The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, as the overarching instrument for global health security, are designed to prevent and cope with major international public health threats. But poor implementation in countries hampers their effectiveness. In the wake of a number of major international health crises, such as the 2014 Ebola and 2016 Zika outbreaks, and the findings of a number of h...

Ebola lessons guide International Health Regulations review.