Strategies for implementing the new International Health Regulations in federal countries

Strategies for implementing the new International Health Regulations in federal countries.

The International Health Regulations (IHR), the principal legal instrument guiding the international management of public health emergencies, have recently undergone an extensive revision process. The revised regulations, referred to as the IHR (2005), were unanimously approved in May 2005 by all Member States of the World Health Assembly (WHA) and came into effect on 15 June 2007. The IHR (200...

Implementing public health regulations in developing countries: lessons from the OECD countries.

Developing country efforts to enforce basic public health standards are often hindered by limited agency resources and poorly designed enforcement mechanisms, including excessive reliance on slow and erratic judicial systems. Traditional public health regulation can therefore be difficult to implement. This article examines innovative approaches to the implementation of public health regulation...

Implementing the international health regulations (2005) in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region.

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

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 ...