Governments hold first detailed discussions on proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Countries have proposed more than 300 amendments to the WHO International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed amendments were discussed during the second meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations. The 194 member states of the WHO stressed the importance of enhancing capacity building, access to benefits arising from sharing pathogens, equitable access to medical countermeasures, and enhanced cooperation and information sharing. The WHO Member States issued the International Sanitary Regulations in 1951, the precursor to the IHR, which came into being in 2005. The IHR set out agreed approaches and obligations for countries to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks and other acute public health risks. To read the full article, click here. For more information on COVID-19, click here.