World Health Assembly to Prepare a Global Toolkit for Future Pandemics

Context

A package of amendments will be on the agenda of the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting. 

Proposed Amendments to IHR and New Pandemic Agreement Set for World Health Assembly Agenda

• Amendments to IHR: These amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) will target improving the ability of countries to respond to public health emergencies of international concern.
• International Agreement on Pandemic Management: This process has been running in parallel to develop an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. 
• Building capacities: A potential new pandemic agreement and the amended IHRs would be complementary international instruments designed and negotiated by Member States to help countries protect their peoples better from future pandemic threats. 
  • The IHR focuses on building countries’ capacities to detect and respond to public health events, which could take on international dimensions.
  • On the other hand, the draft pandemic accord focuses on a coordinated international response to pandemics, with equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics at the centre.

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International Health Regulations (IHR)

The International Health Regulations (IHR) first adopted by the WHA in 1969 and last revised in 2005, were conceived to maximize collective efforts to manage public health events while minimising disruption to travel and trade. 

• Members: There are 196 State Parties to the IHR comprising all 194 WHO Member States, plus Liechtenstein and the Holy See.
  • India is a signatory to the International Health Regulations.
• Aim: 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.  It is legally binding on 196 countries.
• • They introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travellers 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. 
• Surveillance systems: The International Health Regulations (IHR) mandate that all countries establish surveillance systems capable of:
  • promptly detecting acute public health incidents
  • assessing their severity
  • reporting potential public health emergencies of international concern to the WHO
  • responding to public health risks and emergencies.

Need for Amendments:

• Strengthening Responses: The management of multiple public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated important areas in which they could be strengthened for the benefit of all 196 State parties.
• Global Collaboration for Epidemic and Pandemic Protection: Countries have come together around improved international mechanisms to protect from the impact of epidemics and pandemics, with a commitment to equity and solidarity.

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