Governments agreed on a way forward to update the WHO International Sanitary Regulations 2005 (IHR), holding the first round of intensive discussions on more than 300 country-proposed amendments to this globally agreed instrument. The IHR established agreed approaches and obligations for countries to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks and other acute risks to public health. The proposed amendments come in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He second meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Sanitary Regulations (2005) took place from 20 to 24 February, during which the proposed amendments were discussed for the first time. The Group listened to the intention behind the 307 amendments proposed by governments and shared views on each. They also agreed on next steps to address further negotiations on the proposed amendments and plans for their next meeting on April 17-20.
IHR Working Group Co-Chair Dr Ashley Bloomfield said that in discussing the amendments to the Regulations, governments focused on making their countries and the international community better prepared for future emergencies.
“COVID-19 showed us that having a good, robust set of International Health Regulations is essential, and showed where the current Regulations need to be improved,” said Dr Bloomfield, former New Zealand Director General of Health. “The ongoing pandemic has underscored the importance of countries working together in collaboration and supporting the WHO in its vital work to make the world safer. The tone of the discussions and the progress made during this week’s meeting clearly show that countries understand the responsibility they have to ensure that this process is successful.”
Throughout the week-long meeting, the 194 WHO Member States, which are also States Parties to the IHR, stressed the importance of enhancing capacity building, especially in low-income countries; access to the benefits derived from sharing pathogens; equitable access to medical countermeasures; and increased cooperation and information sharing.
IHR Working Group Co-Chair Dr. Abdullah M. Assiri, Deputy Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said governments were committed to leading the process to strengthen the IHR and, in turn, make the world safer and healthier.
“Countries are in the driver’s seat of this process as they need to implement the International Health Regulations, comply with obligations and make the key decisions necessary to respond to public health threats,” said Dr. Assiri. “During the pandemic, the world faced the urgent need for functioning international instruments and placed increasing importance on international organizations such as the WHO. The updated Regulations will enable the world to better detect outbreaks early and prevent them from becoming public health emergencies of international concern. This is about strengthening our collective ability to do that and better protect everyone.”
In the run up to the meeting, an independent and diverse team of experts prepared a technical evaluation of the proposed amendments to assist countries in their negotiations.
In parallel with the IHR amendment process, governments are also negotiating the drafting of a WHO instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, also known as a pandemic agreement. Governments will meet from February 27 to March 3 2023 to consider the zero draft of the agreement.
Dr. Bloomfield said the two processes are complementary, as both are guided by the imperative to make the world safer from communicable diseases and ensure equitable responses to public health threats. “Efforts to update the International Health Regulations and draft a pandemic agreement share a number of common themes, including the importance of equity in access to health, collaboration and capacity building,” he said. “It is important that there is consistency and alignment between the two processes.”
WHO Member States issued the International Health Regulations in 1951, the precursor to the IHR, which entered into force in 2005. The IHR is an instrument of international law that is legally binding on 196 States Parties, including the 194 Member States of the WHO. WHO. The IHR creates rights and obligations for countries, including the requirement to report public health events with risk of international spread to WHO. They also describe the criteria for determining whether a particular event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, WHO’s highest level of alarm according to the IHR, which in turn triggers specific response actions for countries to prevent further spread of the epidemic and reduce its impact. on the health of the population and societies in general.