The revised international health regulations and restraint of national health measures.

Occurring against the backdrop of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza and fears of a global influenza pandemic, the revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR or Regulations) is one of the most significant developments in international health law in recent years. The previous Regulations, outdated and notoriously ineffective, have been comprehensively revised, providing a new legal framework for global infectious disease surveillance and control. In May 2005, the World Health Assembly adopted the revised IHR, which will be binding on WHO member states when they come into force in 2007. With major changes to the Regulations’ scope, states’ obligations, and the powers and duties of the World Health Organization (WHO), the revised IHR represent a landmark in the international legal framework relating to health. It has even been suggested that the revision can be seen as part of a transition to a new era in global health governance.