World Health Assembly adopts amendments to strengthen International Health Regulations
In a historic development aimed at fortifying global health security, the World Health Assembly (WHA) – the annual convening of the World Health Organization’s 194 member states – has adopted a package of pivotal amendments to the legally binding International Health Regulations (2005) while also committing to finalize negotiations on a comprehensive pandemic accord within the next year.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at the 77th World Health Assembly
These dual actions represent a momentous response to the hard-learned lessons from recent public health emergencies, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic that exposed critical gaps in international preparedness and coordination mechanisms. The amended IHR seeks to remedy these shortcomings by institutionalizing robust systems across member states to detect, assess, report and respond to potential health threats.
Introducing the ‘Pandemic Emergency’
Central to the IHR revisions is the newly-established “pandemic emergency” designation – a higher tier of alert intended to catalyze enhanced international collaboration and whole-of-society responses. This pandemic emergency definition applies when an outbreak meets specific criteria: wide or imminent cross-border spread, the imminent or realized overwhelm of national health capacities, and the real or elevated risk of causing major societal and economic disruptions that transcend national boundaries.
Upon meeting the definition, it triggers obligations for nations to share data, resources and policy measures transparently while following temporary recommendations issued by the WHO. By elevating outbreak response coordination to a supranational level during the most severe events, the amended IHR aims to foster synchronized containment efforts globally.
Bolstering solidarity and equity
Recognizing the disproportionate impacts of health crises on resource-limited settings, the IHR amendments enshrine principles of equity and global solidarity. A novel Coordinating Financial Mechanism will be tasked with mobilizing funds to support developing nations in bridging gaps related to pandemic preparedness – including developing, strengthening and maintaining core public health capacities.
This commitment to equitable preparedness is viewed as essential to mitigating future public health catastrophes. Experts underscore that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link – outbreaks anywhere can rapidly escalate into emergencies everywhere in an interconnected world.
National and global implementation
To facilitate adherence to the revised IHR, member states will establish dedicated National IHR Authorities to coordinate compliance and reporting obligations within their borders. At the global level, a new States Parties Committee will be formed to promote international cooperation and IHR implementation through technical guidance and monitoring.
The Pandemic Accord
In a complementary decision informed by the lessons of COVID-19, the WHA extended the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft an overarching international pandemic accord focused on prevention, preparedness and response. This proposed legally binding instrument aims to promote equity, transparency and accountability while delineating responsibilities and financing mechanisms for future pandemic management on a global scale.
Significance for global health security
In the wake of a pandemic that claimed over 20 million lives and disrupted societies worldwide, these WHA decisions represent a pivotal juncture in modernizing antiquated systems for a globalized reality where biothreats can rapidly dissolve national boundaries.
By amending the IHR with a stratified system to elevate response coordination, galvanize resource mobilization, and institutionalize national and international accountability measures, the global health governance architecture is being overhauled to prioritize prevention and preparedness over ad hoc crisis management.
As WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: “The next pandemic is a matter of when, not if.”
With these landmark actions to tighten the IHR safety net while initiating a complementary pandemic accord, the global health community has signalled an urgency and commitment to averting a reprise of COVID-19’s catastrophic toll. Multilateral health diplomacy is being reshaped for an age of accelerating biothreats amplified by interdependence.
