scholarly journals From International Sanitary Conventions to Global Health Security: The New International Health Regulations

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Fidler
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
Global Health Security ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Health Regulations

scholarly journals Global health security and the International Health Regulations

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. S2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Andrus ◽  
Ximena Aguilera ◽  
Otavio Oliva ◽  
Sylvain Aldighieri
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
Global Health Security ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Health Regulations

Global Health Security Demands a Strong International Health Regulations Treaty and Leadership From a Highly Resourced World Health Organization

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick M. Burkle
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Global Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
Global Health Security ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health Regulations

AbstractIf the Ebola tragedy of West Africa has taught us anything, it should be that the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) Treaty, which gave unprecedented authority to the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide global public health security during public health emergencies of international concern, has fallen severely short of its original goal. After encouraging successes with the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic, the intent of the legally binding Treaty to improve the capacity of all countries to detect, assess, notify, and respond to public health threats has shamefully lapsed. Despite the granting of 2-year extensions in 2012 to countries to meet core surveillance and response requirements, less than 20% of countries have complied. Today it is not realistic to expect that these gaps will be solved or narrowed in the foreseeable future by the IHR or the WHO alone under current provisions. The unfortunate failures that culminated in an inadequate response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa are multifactorial, including funding, staffing, and poor leadership decisions, but all are reversible. A rush by the Global Health Security Agenda partners to fill critical gaps in administrative and operational areas has been crucial in the short term, but questions remain as to the real priorities of the G20 as time elapses and critical gaps in public health protections and infrastructure take precedence over the economic and security needs of the developed world. The response from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and foreign medical teams to Ebola proved indispensable to global health security, but both deserve stronger strategic capacity support and institutional status under the WHO leadership granted by the IHR Treaty. Treaties are the most successful means the world has in preventing, preparing for, and controlling epidemics in an increasingly globalized world. Other options are not sustainable. Given the gravity of ongoing failed treaty management, the slow and incomplete process of reform, the magnitude and complexity of infectious disease outbreaks, and the rising severity of public health emergencies, a recommitment must be made to complete and restore the original mandates as a collaborative and coordinated global network responsibility, not one left to the actions of individual countries. The bottom line is that the global community can no longer tolerate an ineffectual and passive international response system. As such, this Treaty has the potential to become one of the most effective treaties for crisis response and risk reduction worldwide. Practitioners and health decision-makers worldwide must break their silence and advocate for a stronger Treaty and a return of WHO authority. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:568–580)

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. e000656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Kluge ◽  
Jose Maria Martín-Moreno ◽  
Nedret Emiroglu ◽  
Guenael Rodier ◽  
Edward Kelley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
International Health ◽  
Health System Strengthening ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
Global Health Security ◽  
Health Security ◽  
High Level ◽  
Health Regulations

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 high-level assessments of the global response to these crises, it has become clear that there is a need for more joined-up thinking between health system strengthening activities and health security efforts for prevention, alert and response. WHO is working directly with its Member States to promote this approach, more specifically around how to better embed the IHR (2005) core capacities into the main health system functions. This paper looks at how and where the intersections between the IHR and the health system can be best leveraged towards developing greater health system resilience. This merging of approaches is a key component in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage and strengthened global health security as two mutually reinforcing agendas.

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