Amended International Health Regulations (IHR)

Context

The amended International Health Regulations (IHR) officially came into force in the recent past and this is a historic one in the governing of global health.

Historical Background

• International Sanitary Conference (Paris, 1851): an effort to combat the spread of cholera along trade routes in Europe; concerned itself with quarantine regulations and an exchange of information;
  • • Maritime health and aerial navigation conventions were eventually consolidated (albeit through the formation of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948).
• International Health Regulations (IHR), 1969: It was limited to three diseases, namely cholera, plague and yellow fever.
  • • Vaccination certificates and quarantine regulations were still the focus.
    • IHR is a legally binding instrument to 196 States Parties, comprising all 194 WHO Member States.
• IHR, 2005: Gaps in the outdated framework were revealed during the SARS outbreak of 2003.
  • • In turn, the 2005 revision included coverage of any public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Key features included:
      • 24 hour reporting of occurrences to WHO;
      • Building up of national core capabilities;
      • Opening of 24/7 lines of communication;
• The most recent amendments- approved by the consensus at the 77th World Health Assembly in 2024 reflecting experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and decades of developing the policy of the state concerning population health.
  • • The IHR has a Secretariat in the form of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which coordinates but does not enforce compliance. It offers technical advice, warnings as well as assistance in health emergencies.

Amendment Process

• Article 55: It permits (States) Party proposals or WHO Director-General proposals.
  • • Adoption takes place by majority vote in the World Health Assembly (WHA). Provisions under Articles 61-62 may be rejected or reserved by countries.
• Institutional Mechanisms:
• Emergency Committee (Article 48): It provides the WHO Director-General with information on whether an incident is a PHEIC or a Pandemic Emergency, and it is used to make temporary recommendations.
• Review Committee (Article 50): It considers the amendments, standing recommendations, and other technical questions.

Key Highlights in Recent Amendments

• Adoption of the Pandemic Emergency Classification: Pandemic Emergency is used where a communicable disease is so widespread on a multi-State basis that it overwhelms health facilities, and leads to a significant social and economic disruption on a scale that requires international response with high speed and coordination.
  • • It is more than the current Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The new classification allows:
      • Previous international warnings;
      • More intense coordination of countries;
      • Improved availability of medical antidotes;
• Introduction of National IHR Authorities: The amendments include the establishment of National IHR Authorities in every member country, in order to simplify the implementation.
  • • It intends to work with coordination across ministries, such as health, transport, trade, and security as opposed to Focal Point (a communication hub) to implement the IHR.
• In the case of India: It signifies official designation by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, backed up by updated legislation, augmented disease-tracking, stronger laboratories and personal information protection in the case of an emergency.
• Equity and Solidarity at the Core: The reformulated IHR focuses on equity and solidarity, especially in terms of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments access. It has been supplemented with provisions to:
  • • Enhance financing arrangements;
    • Encourage equitable sale of medical products;
    • Help poor and middle-income nations in times of international health emergencies;
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Compliance is based on the Joint External Evaluations (JEE) in which international experts cooperate with national authorities to evaluate the preparedness in surveillance and labs, workforce, and communication.
  • • These reviews assist the countries to determine areas where they have weak points and areas of investments.

Source: The Hindu

Mains PYQ

(Q) “Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyse. (2021)

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