Public health emergencies of international concernin the 21st century

Abstract

Since 2007, the International Health Regulations (IHR) formulated the framework of global health security. It is one of the World Health Organization's (WHO) priorities, primarily promoting health and well-being. One of the main roles of the IHR is to declare certain diseases as public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC). This declaration is publicized by the IHR Emergency Committee (EC) of international experts which was developed following the SARS outbreak in 2004. A PHEIC is defined as an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and potentially requiring an international coordinated response [4]. This is mainly seen as an alarm system or a call for action for a preceding pandemic. With the declaration, the WHO states have 24 hours within which to report any potential PHEIC events to the WHO. It can also be received by non-governmental sources...