The World Health Assembly to prepare a global toolkit for future pandemics

Sub: IR

Context:

The World Health Assembly will convene from May 27 to June 1 to discuss amendments to the International Health Regulations.

Key Amendments:

A package of amendments, based on 300 proposals made by member countries after the pandemic, will be the star of the agenda.
These amendments to the International Health Regulations will target improving the ability of countries to respond to public health emergencies of international concern.

About The International Health Regulations (IHR):

The International Health Regulations (IHR) was first adopted by the WHA in 1969 and last revised in 2005.
It was aimed to maximize collective efforts to manage public health events while minimizing disruption to travel and trade.
There are 196 State Parties to the IHR, comprising all 194 WHO Member States plus Liechtenstein and the Holy See.
The IHR provides an overarching legal framework that defines countries’ rights and obligations in handling public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.
They also introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travelers and other persons in relation to the treatment of personal data, informed consent and non-discrimination in the application of health measures under the Regulations.
The IHR is an instrument of international law that is legally binding on 196 countries.
The IHR focuses on building countries’ capacities to detect and respond to public health events, which could take on international dimensions.
The draft pandemic accord focuses on a coordinated international response to pandemics, with equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics at the center.

Various Surveillance systems in IHR:

The IHR requires that all countries have surveillance systems capable of detecting acute public health events in a timely manner.
The goal of country implementation is to limit the spread of health risks to neighboring countries and to prevent unwarranted travel and trade restrictions.

About World Health Assembly:

The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization is governed by its 194 member states.
It is the world’s highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states.
The members of the WHA generally meet every year in May in Geneva at the Palace of Nations, the location of WHO Headquarters.
The main tasks of the WHA are to decide major policy questions, as well as to approve the WHO work programme and budget and elect its Director-General (every fifth year) and annually to elect ten members to renew part of its executive board.
Its main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.