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| Public Health Emergency of International Concern | |
|---|---|
| Name | Public Health Emergency of International Concern |
| Created | 2005 |
| Jurisdiction | World Health Organization |
| Legal basis | International Health Regulations (2005) |
Public Health Emergency of International Concern A Public Health Emergency of International Concern is a formal designation under the International Health Regulations (2005) used by the World Health Organization to signal extraordinary events that risk international spread of disease and may require coordinated international action. The instrument links Member States of the World Health Organization with legal, operational, and diplomatic mechanisms involving World Health Assembly, Director-General of the World Health Organization, and emergency committees of experts. Its use has affected responses by states such as United States, China, France, United Kingdom, and international organizations like the United Nations and European Commission.
The term originates from the International Health Regulations (2005), which were negotiated at the World Health Assembly and adopted by Member States of the World Health Organization following revisions after events like the Severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak of 2002–2004. The framework obliges signatory states such as India, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, and Japan to notify the World Health Organization of specified events and to develop core capacities endorsed at forums like the Global Health Summit. The legal basis intersects with instruments such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and engages actors including the International Committee of the Red Cross and regional bodies like the African Union.
Declarations rest on criteria enumerated in the International Health Regulations (2005) decision instrument, assessed by an Emergency Committee convened by the Director-General of the World Health Organization. The assessment considers factors evident in past events such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009, Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa (2014–2016), and the Zika virus epidemic in connection with reports from national authorities like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and laboratories such as Pasteur Institute. The process involves expert panels including representatives from institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and agencies including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The International Health Regulations (2005) assign the World Health Organization authority to declare emergencies, issue temporary recommendations, and coordinate technical assistance with partners such as United Nations Children's Fund, World Bank, and GAVI. The WHO Secretariat convenes Emergency Committees drawing on expertise from bodies like the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and collaborates with research institutions including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wellcome Trust, and Rockefeller Foundation. Implementation involves interactions with regional offices such as WHO Regional Office for Africa and regulatory bodies like the European Medicines Agency.
Since adoption, notable declarations include responses to the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009, the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa (2014–2016), the Zika virus epidemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic declared in 2020; each engaged international actors like World Bank, International Monetary Fund, G7, and G20. Earlier public health crises—Severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak of 2002–2004 and the 2003 Ebola outbreak in Congo—shaped revisions culminating in the 2005 regulations discussed at the World Health Assembly and influenced policy at national ministries including Ministry of Health (Brazil), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India), and National Health Commission (China).
Declarations trigger national responses by agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health England, Agence nationale de santé publique, and military medical units like the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Global coordination often involves financing and logistical support from World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and operational partners such as Médecins Sans Frontières, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and UNICEF. Capacity building has engaged academic consortia including Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and networks like the Global Health Security Agenda.
Critics include commentators from The Lancet, Nature (journal), and policy centers such as Chatham House and Brookings Institution who have questioned timeliness, transparency, and geopolitical influence involving states like United States, China, and blocs like the European Union. Debates have involved legal scholars citing the International Court of Justice precedents, public health ethicists at University of Oxford, and investigative reporting by outlets such as The New York Times and The Guardian. Controversies have concerned alleged delays during the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa (2014–2016) and the COVID-19 pandemic, data sharing disputes involving laboratories like Wuhan Institute of Virology, and implications for sovereignty raised by Ministries of Health.
Declarations have prompted measures affecting aviation firms like International Air Transport Association and maritime actors including International Maritime Organization, with policy effects on travel restrictions by states such as Australia, Canada, and Brazil, and trade actions scrutinized under agreements like the World Trade Organization rules. Human rights implications engage institutions like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and legal instruments including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, raising issues around quarantine, movement restrictions, and access to healthcare observed in cases involving Italy, Spain, and South Africa. Humanitarian responses often coordinate through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme.
Category:International public health